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Coat drive keeps kids warm

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Darlene Powder, left, Sharon Abel and Alayna Ward fold coats at the YWCA office on Monday. The organization is collecting clean, gently used winter clothing as part of its annual Coats for Kids, Parkas for Parents drive this week. Kirsten Fenn/NNSL photo

With the snow looking like it’s here to stay, Yellowknifers are starting to bundle up to stay warm outside.

But not everyone has the luxury of a fluffy winter jacket to keep them cozy on the -30 C days that are around the corner.

The YWCA NWT is stepping up this month to help those looking for warm winter clothing find what they need through their annual Coats for Kids, Parkas for Parents drive.

“It’s based around the premise really that everybody should have a warm coat and everyone should be warm,” said Alayna Ward, director of community relations for the organization.

“Yellowknife in the winter time, as anyone knows, it can get really cold … so it’s really just making sure that kids are kept warm and so are their parents.”

Although warm winter gear is needed for people of all ages, buying a winter jacket can be especially difficult for families with several children, said Ward.

At a few hundred dollars a pop, the price tag can quickly add up.

“So it’s just something that we do to try to alleviate a little bit of that financial impact from purchasing cold weather gear,” she said.

The YWCA is accepting all kinds of winter gear during its drive, including hats, mittens, winter boots, snow pants and warm winter jackets.

Anyone with new or used, clean gear can drop it off at the YWCA’s office at 4904 54 Avenue, the Multiplex or Overlander until Oct. 20

“People have been really generous already,” said Ward. “But there’s definitely a huge, huge need.”

She said people from as far as Behchoko have called this year to inquire about when they can pick up winter clothing.

Each year, the YWCA has been “overwhelmed” by people looking for winter items, she added.

“As soon as we open, there’s always lots of people that come and are looking for coats,” said Ward.

From Oct. 19-24, anyone in need of warm gear can come pick items up for free at the YWCA office.

The office will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., said Ward.

“When kids grow out of stuff … instead of just keeping it in a box or something, you really could be changing someone’s life and keeping them warm,” she said.

“It’s the difference between being able to go outside or not.”