Paris Marine collects coats for shelter
Crew’s Boat Load of Coats campaign to keep homeless clients of YES Shelter warm
The team at a boating business north of Peterborough is collecting winter gear for a shelter in Peterborough.
The Paris Marine crew is running Boat Load of Coats, a charitable winter-wear drive for YES Shelter for Youth and Families.
They’ve been collecting gear for three months and are now putting the call out to the community to pitch in.
Deborah and Joe Lineberry are the owners of Paris Marine, located between Peterborough and Lakefield.
“It’s no secret that there is a homeless issue here in town,” Joe said of why they chose YES as the benefactor.
In 2018, YES supported about 200 people, 61 per cent were youth and the remainder were families, according to YES.
Paris Marine has a long history of supporting local charities, from Habitat for Humanity to the hospital and Crossroads shelter to the Peterborough Humane Society.
For this charitable round, Joe said they wanted to help an organization working to help those without a home.
“It is our belief that many folks struggling through the rigors of homelessness are victims of circumstance.”
With winter on its way, the Lineberrys and staff decided to do a drive that would keep the less fortunate warm.
They’re collecting all sorts of new or gently used winter wear, including winter coats, snow pants, winter boots, rain gear, wool/wool-blended
socks, tuques, scarves and mittens for all ages and sizes.
The team first reached out to their clientele, who Joe said are “good-hearted” people and often have the means to give back.
“We wanted to tap into that resource because it’s a good resource.”
With about 1,500 boats going through Paris Marine’s doors for winterization, the boat has been filling up quickly, Joe said, but there’s always room for more.
The dealership is accepting donations until Nov. 15. Items can be dropped off at 29080 Lakefield Rd. during business hours on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.