ROCHELLE – The Rochelle Community Action Network and Kiwanis Golden K are working together to help keep families in need warm this holiday season.

These two organizations are asking anyone in the community with unwanted or unused, new or slightly used, winter coats to drop them off in one of the donation boxes placed at different businesses throughout town. There are no restrictions as to what types of coats can be donated, whether they are for kids or adults, any coat will be accepted.

“We just hope that the coats are clean, but if they are not we will work with that. If you have anything that you don’t want or doesn’t fit you anymore, just put them in one of those boxes and we will pick them up,” explained Sandy Mannel, one of the coat drive organizers.

There are 11 donation boxes placed at different locations throughout town including each of the elementary schools, the middle school, St Paul’s Lutheran Church, St. Patricks Catholic Church, the Flagg-Rochelle Public Library, the Rochelle Child Care Center, Lincoln State Bank and Central Bank.

This annual coat drive coincides with the Community Action Network’s annual shopping trip. When CAN and volunteers are getting ready to take families on their shopping trip, they also give them the opportunity to take any winter clothes that have been donated, so that they don’t need to spend any of the money for the shopping trip on winter clothes.

“When kids come to go shopping with their shopper, they can pick up a coat, mittens, gloves or scarfs, anything they need. The coat drive is sort of a sideline to the shopping trip,” added Mannel.
Anyone who is looking to donate their winter clothes has until Wednesday Dec. 11 to drop them off any of the donation boxes around town.