PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — As the seasons change to colder temperatures, local non-profit organization Neighborhood House is hosting its winter coat giveaway on Thursday.
This will be the 38th time the organization has put on the event, which supports the local community by supplying coats and other winter clothing items to those in need.
Donations are being accepted leading up to the event, which will be at the Neighborhood House building. President and CEO Julie Bonar said they have received plenty of fresh donations for tomorrow’s event.
“This year has been phenomenal in that we’ve been given so many brand new coats, but we are always accepting of brand new or gently-used coats or other winter wear,” she said.
While the focus is on coats, the event is open to all kinds of winter clothing items.
“It’s not just about the coat, it’s also about the gloves and the hats and the scarves that individuals need,” Bonar said.
She also talked about how sales depend on the weather. Some years they give out closer to 500 coats while other years they give out closer to 1000.
Bonar said that Neighborhood House is proud to serve such a vital role in the community.
“Last year we had individuals lined up at 6 a.m. waiting to come in and get coats because they have jobs that are outdoors and they needed a new coat, and they were able to do that before they had to be at work,” she said.
The event will run from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., or until they run out of clothes. It will be at the Neighborhood House office, which is at 1020 South Matthew Street.
Neighborhood House was established in 1896 and aims to provide a safe environment, resources, and education to empower the community to reach their full potential through all of life’s stages.
