3rd Annual Warm Coat Event
November 13, 2021 – Carson City, Nevada
Without a doubt, the global pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the physical, emotional, and financial health of so many in our community. As weary families struggle to provide essentials, temperatures lower, and rising costs of goods soar, the generous donation of warm winter coats from Soles4Souls and Macy’s couldn’t have arrived at a better time.
A chance introduction to Food for Thought (FFT) in Carson City, nonprofit feeding homeless youth, proved to be a great partnership to host For Kids Foundation’s (FKF) 3rd Annual Warm Coat Event. Dedicated staff, amazing volunteers, a large warehouse to display the inventory, and ample parking created the backdrop for our 3rd Annual Warm Coat Event, Saturday, November 13, 2021.
Staff from FKF and FFT and a host of volunteers worked hours to unpack 700 beautiful coats, oohing and ahhhing as each coat was unwrapped and displayed on donated coat racks from the local Carson Nugget. The highly organized visionary Executive Director of FFT, Marlene Maffei, printed signs; organized her warehouse to look like a department store; and coached volunteers on how to create a “shopping experience” for our attendees.
Additional amazing donations from Bombas (2000 pairs of socks in various sizes) and 1000 A Little Off Topic board games were unpacked and displayed, ready to distribute to the attendees.
Northern Nevada blessed us with fabulous fall weather as volunteers arrived by 7:30 a.m. to get briefed on the event, and children with their families started arriving at 8 a.m. We chose to reserve the morning event for a limited number of invited homeless youth and their families. Each family was warmly greeted by a “personal shopper” who helped them choose a coat, a pair of socks, a board game, and a goody bag containing hygiene and food items supplied FFT. So many left the event wearing their new coats with faces beaming with joy.
We took a one-hour break to enjoy some tasty pizza and regroup/restock inventory. We then opened the doors to the public from noon to 3 p.m. Anticipating a denser crowd of attendees for the afternoon portion of our event, we chose to do it “drive-by” style—families would drive up; we inquired as to the size/gender; and volunteers hand-delivered coats, socks, and games to the cars of excited families.
Local television stations KRNV and KTVN and media Nevada Appeal sent reporters to capture the event on film and in print for the greater community.
https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2021/nov/27/coat-drive-boon-carson-city-students-transition/
The reactions from attendees young and old were priceless: “Kate Spade! It fits perfectly.” “I love this one.” “Bless you.” “This is so incredible.” “This one’s my favorite color.” “Thank you so much for helping our family.”
