From staff reports
For the sixth year Keystone Coats for Kids is starting its winter coat drive. The first drive was in 2015 and there were 270 coats purchased that year.
In 2016 the goal was for 500 coats. That goal was met and 507 coats were purchased. In 2017, 516 coats were purchased and Caps for Kids donated 220 caps. In 2018, there were 456 coats purchased; Caps for Kids donated 200 caps; and 30 pairs of boots were donated by Thrivent Financial.
In the past five years, coats purchased have been given to schools in Clarion County, Allegheny-Clarion Valley First program, Keystone SMILES, Clarion County Promise, Head Start programs, Clarion County Children and Youth Services, local day cares, Next Step Therapy, SAFE, Knox Caring Cupboard and Clarion Psychiatric Center.
When this coat drive was started, it was for the children in the Keystone School District. The generosity of the community and even people from out of the area was overwhelming. Keystone Coats for Kids will continue each year as long as there are people willing to give to the program. Unfortunately there will always be children in the community in need of a warm coat.
Operation Warm was started by Dick Sanford in the winter of 1998 after he drove past a group of children without coats huddled together at a bus stop in Kennett Square located in Chester County.
The sight of these children led Sanford to a local store where he purchased 58 coats that were given directly to children in need. His generosity inspired the creation of Operation Warm and since then, millions of coats have been purchased as a result of communities working together to improve the livelihood of children in need.
All the coats are fleece lined and have a fleece lined hood. The cost of each coat is $20, but no donation is too small.
Donations can be made payable to Keystone Coats for Kids and either mailed to or dropped off at Farmers National Bank, P.O. Box 665, Knox, Pa. 16232 or dropped off at Knox Auto Supply in Knox or New Bethlehem. The donation deadline is Oct. 1, and 100 percent of the donation goes to purchase coats.