Annual Coat Drive Keeps Lawrence Residents Warm This Winter

Delaney Gregory | @delaney_gregs2

As temperatures begin to drop across Lawrence, many families are preparing for the colder months ahead. For some, having a warm coat to get through the winter isn’t guaranteed.

For the 39th year, Scotch Fabric Care is partnering with the Salvation Army to make sure no one in Douglas County faces the cold alone. The annual coat drive collects, cleans and distributes coats to local families in need.

“We were looking at a way to help the community,” Scott Shmallberg said, the president of Scotch Fabric Care. “We decided that we could collect the coats and use the services that we normally provide to clean and provide those in need in our community with a good coat for the winter.”

Donations are being accepted now through Oct. 31 at all Scotch Fabric Care locations in Lawrence, including 611 Florida Street and 721 Wakarusa Drive. Each coat is professionally cleaned before being given to the Salvation Army, who then distributes them in December.

“It’s very easy,” Shmallberg said. “You just go to any of our stores in Lawrence or Topeka, you can even go through the drive-through and hand it off. We have barrels in all the stores, and Scotch and the Salvation Army will take care of everything else.”

Employees say the program is rewarding because it directly helps local families stay warm.

“A lot of our customers specifically, just have tons of stuff they don’t need,” Tareq Love, a Scotch employee, said. “It really makes them feel better, it makes me feel better, and it keeps people warm. It’s a very good project.”

Last year, more than 2,200 coats were donated, and since the program began, over 290,000 coats have gone to Kansans in need.Donations will be accepted through the end of October. For more information, visit scotchcleaners.com or contact the Salvation Army of Lawrence.