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HERRIMAN — A group of Salt Lake County moms has set a lofty goal to help keep kids warm this winter. They're hoping to collect 1,000 new and gently used coats to donate to students in need.
Herriman mother Kat Naessens is one of the organizers of the 'Every Kid in a Coat' drive. She and two of her friends recently took over the coat campaign.
"Ourselves and our families are going to do a coat drive to try and get as many coats for the kids that can't afford it," Naessens said.
She wanted to do charity work that would help her children understand the privileges they have, and how they can give back to their community.
How the idea came about
"We started reading library books about kindness and there was this one book called 'The Coat' which has this little girl who gives her coat to another little child that doesn't have a coat," Naessens said.
She and her friends reached out to the Jordan Education Foundation to get an idea of what kind of need there is.
"We came up with a number of about 1,000 elementary school kids," Naessens said. "The level of need here is quite shocking, actually when you look into it."
The coats are collected in boxes on her doorstep, her friend's, at the children's school and through AAA Garage Door. The company's drivers will pick up coats from donors who reach out by text at 801-792-6597.
Naessens, who is a mother of a 5- and 6-year-old, said she can't imagine sending her own children out without a coat. She doesn't want other families to struggle this winter.
"To keep these kids learning, to keep them playing equally with their friends, I think it's so important that just these little needs can be met," she said.
The coat drive will run through mid-December. Monetary donations made to the campaign's GoFundMe* and Venmo account will go toward the purchase of new coats. To learn more, visit their Facebook page.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
