17th Annual Helping Hands of St. Louis Winter Coat Fest Will be Sat. Oct. 24!
byDeborah Boyce
TOLEDO— Helping Hands of St. Louis Clothing Center is collecting winter clothing items for our 17th Annual Winter Coat Fest on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. inside our Clothing Center. Parking will be available in the big lot across the street, along 6th Street, and in the parking lot next to the old school building of Helping Hands of St. Louis, 443 Sixth St., Toledo, OH.
“Last year we provided nearly 500 winter coats to men, women and children, along with hats, gloves and winter boots,” says Sue Shrewsbery, Director of Helping Hands of St. Louis. “Anyone in need is welcome!”
Children’s coats, men’s and women’s winter coats, especially XL and plus-sized, gently used winter boots, especially men's sizes 10 and up, warm men’s socks, and warm gloves and warm hats for men, women and children are always needed. These items may be dropped off at Helping Hands of St. Louis Clothing Center, 443 Sixth St., Toledo, OH, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays - Fridays. Thank You!
Volunteers are needed on Mondays and Fridays, from 9 a.m. - Noon, the first 2 weeks of October, to sort and size winter coats. Event set-up volunteers are needed Thursday and Friday, Oct. 22 and Oct. 23, from 9 a.m. to Noon, and on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to work various jobs on the day of the event.
Interested in volunteering? Contact Byron Wynn, Catholic Charities Volunteer Coordinator now - text to volunteer at 419.318.7016 or email bwynn@toledodiocese.org.
Various area churches, school and service groups are volunteering and many have donated winter items for the Annual Winter Coat Fest. Any coat-drive donations will need to dropped off to Helping Hands of St. Louis by Wednesday, October 7. Thank You!
Other Winter Coat Fest donations are being accepted through Friday, Oct. 16, and will resume on Monday, Oct. 26, since the need for winter clothing continues throughout the fall and winter months. Gently used winter boots, especially men's sizes 10 and up and men’s socks; children’s boots; and warm coats, hats and gloves for men, women and children are continually needed.
For more information on this event, to donate coats and other winter clothing items, or to make special arrangements for coat drive donation drop-offs, please contact Nicole Sermons, Helping Hands Clothing Center Coordinator at 419.691.0613, ext. 4105, or email her:
nsermons@toledodiocese.org. Or you may contact Sue Shrewsbery, Director of Helping Hands of St. Louis, at 419.691.0613, ext. 4101, or email her at
sshrewsbery@toledodiocese.org. Thank you and God Bless!
