Coats donated for Keystone Opportunity Center distribution
SOUDERTON » In addition to the food, housing and education provided through Keystone Opportunity Center, there are other needs such as winter coats.
It’s not yet known how many Keystone will be providing this year, but it probably will be between 250 and 300, Malcolm Friend, Keystone’s director of resource development, said.
“It really does depend on the generosity of the community,” he said.
Winter coats for children are donated through an automobile dealers association, but coats are also needed for adults, he said.
“Historically, it’s the adults that really need the coats,” he said.
“This is something that goes throughout the winter. It’s not just because of the holidays,” Friend said.
“We never know what the sizes are that people will need, so we have a good range of sizes,” he said.
To help meet the need, 20 men’s winter coats were delivered Nov. 29 to Keystone by employees of Hartzell Insurance, Hatfield.
Donegal Insurance Company donated money used by the Hartzell agency to purchase the coats, Scott Hartzell, the owner of the agency, said.
“We try to give something out every year just to give back to the community,” Hartzell said.
Last year, Hartzell gave 1,000 pounds of turkey to Philabundance, he said.
“Small business can make a difference,” Jeanne Hartzell said. “There’s a lot of people that we can help.”
Hartzell Insurance is one of about three dozen businesses or community groups that donate coats to Keystone, Alan Raisman, Keystone’s manager of advancement, said.
A list of Immediate Needs for Keystone clients is posted each Friday on Keystone’s social media pages. Donated items to meet the needs may be dropped off 10 a.m. to noon Mondays at Keystone Opportunity Center, 104 Main Street, Souderton.
“We say that over the three years we’ve been doing this, immediate needs now turns to immediate response,” Friend said.
The Nov. 20 Scouting for Food collection by Boy Scouts from Souderton, Telford and Harleysville brought in a record 20,534 pounds of food, Keystone posted on social media.
“You gave of yourselves to help those in need in our community who may be struggling with food insecurity. Keystone’s Food Pantry has been truly abundantly blessed,” the posting said.
Along with the donations of items, financial support is also needed, Friend said, thanking everybody who helps with that support. Donations may be made through www.keystoneopportunity.org or by emailing mfriend@keystoneopp. org.
“Because of the pandemic, Keystone is helping more people than ever, and in fairness, the people that we are helping are probably the last who are going to come out of the impact of the pandemic,” Friend said.