WESTLOCK – With an increase in need, the Westlock and District Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) coats for kids and families program has been extended until February 2023.
Each year, the program collects gently used winter coats and ski pants for Westlock and area families and helps on average about two dozen annually, but so far this winter that number has increased to 38.
Following a donation period in October, the program provided winter coats to those in need from Oct. 29 to Dec. 17, but about four full racks of winter coats remain available.
“We’ll probably leave it until sometime in February — as long as it’s cold, we’ll still have coats available,” said executive director Tracy Proulx, noting donations have been stopped. “If they can do an appointment that’s great, if they can’t, they can just stop by during business hours, and we’ll try to accommodate them.”
With the increase in the cost of living, including food and housing FCSS anticipated a higher number of requests for coats this season, noted Proulx, pointing to area this year with a greater need for donations, and the one exception where donations are still being accepted.
“There’s definitely higher needs this year for sure. It’s not just coats, there’s also ski pants, toques and mitts and we get the odd pair of boots donated,” she said. “The big area we were lacking in this year is really large coats like 3XLs — there was a few people we couldn’t accommodate because we just didn’t have big enough ones donated.”
This is the third year the program has benefited from local partnerships including financial support from Westlock Servus Credit Union in the way of a $500 grant that helps with cleaning donated items and the work done by Westlock Dry Cleaners in the Capri Mall.
Proulx said the program is a “good way for people to clean out their closets too,” noting the generosity of the community each year.
“Families are struggling with the cost of everything going up and kids grow fast too,” said Proulx. “A coat from last year is most likely not going to fit them the following season so if we can accommodate them then that’s just a win-win for everybody.”
