COMMUNITY NEED
A real need in the community
Coats for Kids Campaign helping Cape Bretoners stay warm for 20 years.
Twenty years.
It’s hard to believe that two decades have gone by since the Coats for Kids Campaign made its debut in Cape Breton.
As I recall, it was a late November evening and I was playing outside in the cold with a close friend who was wearing a spring jacket. I then went inside to ask my father, Kevin, if it would be OK if I gave my friend my old winter jacket which I was no longer wearing. My father thought that was a great idea and my friend soon resumed playing with my old winter jacket on.
From this came an idea. If someone we knew did not have a winter jacket to wear how many others in our community were in the same boat? So my father and I decided to collect coats in the Sydney Christmas parade. My father took me out of school for the day and we placed small promotional papers under the wipers of cars in the parking lot at a local mall trying to spread the word for our first year.
The result was we collected approximately 50 coats on the back of a go-kart. We also continued to promote and encourage others to bring their coats to the parade where we would exchange their coat donation for a small treat bag.
In 2002, my father and I received a phone call from a family in need. They requested particular size coats for their children. After our collection that year we were able to find the requested sizes and handdeliver these jackets to the family in need. This was the first time we actually had our eyes opened to the real need in the community and allowed us to see how our project was actually helping families in Cape Breton.
It is a special kind of feeling helping those in need simply by providing something that many of us take for granted - a winter jacket. Many of us go through many jackets in our lives and often have more than one jacket hanging in our closets which we no longer use. Meanwhile, there are others In our community who can’t afford or do not have access to these items.
In 2005, Kevin Quinlan was killed in a tragic accident. He was a father, friend, husband and brother, and for the past 13 years we have continued Coats for Kids in loving memory of the man who helped me start this project.
While keeping his legacy alive, we are also keeping thousands of people warm throughout Cape Breton. Throughout our lives, my father consistently encouraged us to help others whenever possible and always make an effort to make a positive change in our community. He was very involved in the community and our family has continued to follow in his footsteps to help those in need. Each year we take the time to organize and sort the coats into different sizes and sexes, which are then distributed to local communities such as Sydney, Glace Bay, New Waterford and North Sydney. It is a fantastic feeling when we deliver the coats and the groups say they have used each and every coat from the previous year, and that people have been calling to see if the coats from this year have arrived yet. Knowing that we are continuing Kevin’s legacy is such a heart-warming feeling and to be able to make a small impact in Cape Breton keeps us motivated to continue these efforts to keep others warm.
Throughout the years we have had many volunteers who have helped make coats for kids possible. We are so thankful for everyone’s involvement in helping to keep this project alive. Throughout the years, we have also had continued support from local business and companies who have donated items to make treat bags, and help collect the coats throughout the parade route. We would like to take this opportunity to greatly appreciate their continued support as this would not be possible without their donations.
We would also like to encourage everyone to go through their closets and bring the coats, hats, mitts and boots to the Sydney Christmas Parade today (Nov;. 24) starting at 4 p.m. We hope to see everyone there.