Keeping kids warm in the city

By Dan Hilborn
Published Oct. 27, 2004


With winter on the horizon, the folks at the South Burnaby Neighbourhood House are working to make sure that every child in the city has a nice warm jacket to keep them comfortable during the coming cold months.

And the Rotary Club of Burnaby Metrotown is joining forces as the newest sponsor of Coats for Kids, a clothing donation drive that outfitted 200 young people in the community with warm winter outerwear last year.

"It's difficult for a lot of families to just put food on the table, so the cost for a child's winter coat is often seen as exceptional," says Kimberley Barwich, program director at Neighbourhood House.

"A lot of kids come to school with only hoodies or spring jackets or other inadequate clothing, so this is an attempt to help families who are otherwise struggling," she said.

The clothing drive, which officially gets underway this week, is looking for warm winter coats - either in new or 'lightly used' condition - suitable for children of all ages, from birth to the teen years.

They are also seeking business sponsors who are willing to set up clothing donations boxes at their place of business.

And while the Coats for Kids drive was targeted specifically at the South Burnaby area last year, Barwich is hoping to extend its reach further east this year, into the Edmonds area and beyond.

Partners in the program, such as local schools and the Eastburn community centre, will gather names of children who need winter coats and the Neighbourhood House will attempt to hook them up with a donation.

"This year, with more partners on board, I'm hoping we'll be able to expand our reach and get more donations of coats," Barwich said.

While the campaign is ideally hoping for new or unused coats, Barwich noted that many families buy new jackets for their children each year, making it easier to donate the older jackets to this worthwhile cause.

"We've got a lot of families who are doing just fine in Burnaby, so they can just go through the closet and take a coat from last year that's not very worn and give it to a child who can use it," she said. "I think of it as a reciprocal thing - some families can provide coats, and other families need coats.

"It's a higher form of recycling."

The Rotary Club of Burnaby Metrotown, under the leadership of club members Gloria Tom Wing Staudt, Carina Tan-Lucero and Neighbourhood House executive director Antonia Beck, is now looking for businesses willing to set up drop boxes for coats on their premises.

To donate jackets or space for a drop box, contact the South Burnaby Neighbourhood House, located at 4845 Imperial St. - in the triangular building at the corner of Jubilee Avenue - or call them at 604-431-0400.

HOW TO HELP:

What: Coats for Kids clothing donation drive.
When: Drive starts this week.
Where: Drop off jackets and coats at the South Neighbourhood House at 4845 Imperial Street during office hours. Phone 604-431- 0400 for more information.