The Santa Clarita Swap Meet is working to ensure that no one in the Santa Clarita Valley is without a coat this winter.
As part of its seventh annual “One Warm Coat” drive, Swap Meet officials are collecting gently used coats and jackets at the Saugus Speedway Office to distribute to the local chapter of Help the Children.
“We will give this (donation) to anyone who needs coats,” said Michael Santomauro, director of Santa Clarita’s chapter of Help the Children. “It will go directly to citizens who are shopping at our organization or to agencies that are donating coats.”
Since the coat drive began in mid-December, officials have collected approximately 160 coats and jackets this year.
“January tends to be the month when a lot of people clear out their closest or see how cold it is… and they want to give back,” said Cheryl Riven, manager of the Santa Clarita Swap Meet.
The organization has partnered with Help the Children for the past three years, donating nearly 900 coats and jackets to the organization and its beneficiaries.
“Every donation means something to a lot of us,” Santomauro said. “We keep our eye out for the need in the community and then try to fill that.”
The local coat drive is part of the non-profit organization One Warm Coat, which supports and encourages coat drives nationwide to provide anyone in need with a warm coat. Through its national efforts, the organization supports more than 3,000 drives each year.
Riven hopes the Santa Clarita Swap Meet’s drive will continue to collect more coats and jackets to impact lives in need in the Santa Clarita community.
“We’re hoping we can get a lot more in the next two weeks,” Riven said.
Community members can continue to drop off their coats and jackets at the Saugus Speedway between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. from Friday to Tuesday until Jan. 31.
Individuals can also make monetary donations to the One Warm Coat drive by visiting onewarmcoat.org or by texting “COAT” to 80100 to make a $5 donation.
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