With winter temperatures on the horizon, the Mountaintop Rotary Club of Highlands is accepting donations for its annual Winter Coat Drive, which officially launched on Nov. 1.
Locations for winter coat drop-offs this year include First Baptist, Highlands United Methodist, and First Presbyterian churches located on Main Street, Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church, Community Bible Church and First Bank, along with the Highlands Rec Center.
Rotarians Duncan Greenlee and Jim Spencer are heading up this year’s project. Greenlee has a long history of involvement with the Winter Coat Drive.
“I have been in the lawncare business for 42 years, and I have had many, many employees over the years and have come in contact with large numbers of workers who I know did not have warm clothing,” Greenlee said. “I have seen first-hand what it is like to suffer from not being warm enough when you are trying to work outside.”
The drive will go through the month of February. The Mountaintop Rotary Club of Highlands is partnering with the Highlands Emergency Council to distribute the coats. This year’s drive specifically requests new or gently used coats or scarfs, gloves, warm caps, and new packaged underwear. A donation of $25 will also buy a coat.
“The response to our annual coat drive has been enormous,” Greenlee said. “This year, however, the need is even more overwhelming. The inflation we are all dealing with has made the need even greater than in previous winters.”
Those in need of the warm clothing such as the items listed above should contact the Highlands Emergency Council. Coats will be distributed at the Emergency Council from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, until March 1.