Families receive gift of warmth

GREEN BAY - After months of collecting winter coats to help kids in need stay warm during the cold weather season, distribution day finally arrived in Green Bay.
     
With more than 4,000 coats to choose from, families lined up at Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay to take advantage of the Coats for Kids program.

"We actually have 60 families coming through every 15 minutes," said one volunteer with the Salvation Army.

Each year new and gently used donated coats find homes with those kids in the community who need them. Families are selected through the Salvation Army.

"Today is the crowing glory in all of this because we can see the families coming in and getting what they need to prepare for the winter season and we're so grateful we can be a part of that," said Salvation Army Captain Ken Shiels.

And to make sure they each get the perfect coat, a team of volunteers--including some familiar FOX 11 faces--took on the role of personal shoppers.

For the parents, getting a free coat for their child means they can spend their money on other household bills. The coats not only come in time for the holidays but will keep them warm well into the New Year.

"It's a great thing I appreciate it a lot and it saves me money it's hard times out here so I'm just happy," said Lakeshia Moore of Green Bay, who brought three of her four kids to pick out coats.

FOX 11 is a proud sponsor of the Coats for Kids program.