Family Education & Support Services (FESS) is launching its second Annual Coat and Sock Drive, running Sep. 15 through Nov. 1 to help local children, adults, and families stay warm as the winter months approach.
FESS is calling on community members, businesses, and organizations to help meet a growing need for warm clothing among families throughout the communities FESS serves.
Items are needed in all sizes, from infants and youth to teens and adults.
“Keeping families warm should not be a financial burden, especially when families are already working hard to make ends meet,” Shelly Willis, CEO at FESS, said in a news release from the organization. “We are asking our community to come together and help make sure children, parents, and caregivers have the warm clothing they need this winter. New socks are especially needed, and we are grateful for new coats, as well as gently used, high-quality and waterproof coats that are still in good condition.”
FESS has partnered with local businesses and organizations throughout the region to make donations easy and accessible. Collection sites include:
Visit www.familyess.org/coatdrive for a full list of participating drop-off locations.
All donated items will be distributed directly to FESS program participants and local families in need, providing essential winter clothing at no cost.
The Coat and Sock Drive is one of the ways FESS works to address basic needs and strengthen families before challenges become crises. Through family support programs, FESS helps parents and caregivers access resources, build support networks, and develop the tools they need to create healthy, stable environments for their children.
“Community support makes a direct difference for the families we serve,” said Willis. “A coat or a package of socks may seem like a simple gift, but for a family facing difficult financial choices, it can mean one less expense and one more way their children can feel cared for, prepared, and included.”
Individuals and organizations interested in supporting the drive can donate new socks or new and gently used coats at participating collection sites between Sep. 15 and Nov. 1.
