A nearby OPP detachment is helping a high school gather winter clothing for people in need.
Georgian Bay District Secondary School is running a coat drive for The Guesthouse Shelter in Midland. On Thursday, Dec. 9 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., residents can drop off donations at the school, located at 865 Hugel Avenue in Midland.
“Right now we’re looking for not just coats. It could be coats, snow pants, winter accessories, hats, gloves, scarves, mitts,” says Kristi Rose, the teacher in charge of the coat drive. “New or gently used, something that will keep people warm and that won’t essentially fall apart.”
Last year, the school managed to fill an armoured vehicle from a local manufacturer. This year, they’re hoping to fill a full sized SUV from the Southern Georgian Bay OPP. Constable Elana Durtnall, Community Service Officer for the detachment, says this time of year is fun for the kids, but less so for the less fortunate.
“The high school here is pretty excited [because] they had a snow day, but our community members, a lot of them are living out of tents right now,” says Durtnall. “They’re going in and out of shelters, and they’re in a less fortunate situation. I know they would really appreciate having these.”
Durtnall and Rose encourage people to rummage through their closets and donate what they no longer need.