Our fourth annual coat drive was a huge success and we're proud to say that more than 500 brand new coats were donated to kids and adults this season. ====
500 Brand New Winter Coats, 200+ Pairs of New Gloves, 100+ New Hats Donated to Cincinnati-area Adults and Children
30 January 2013—CINCINNATI—Imagine you are a fourth grader stuck outside at recess in a coat that is too small and not very warm. Unfortunately, that’s a reality for many Cincinnati-area children, and adults as well.
“This is our fourth year doing this, and our biggest success yet,” said Poul Lemasters, Owner of Lemasters Consulting and Attorney. “Coats get worn and kids grow every year, so the need continues to be present. Everyone should have a new, warm coat to carry them through the winter months, and this is why we do this coat drive.”
Lemaster’s Consulting, a Cincinnati-based business, partners with Old Navy’s Blue Ash, OH location to purchase the new coats and winter wear at a discount and with St. Vincent De Paul, Cincinnati Chapter who distributes the coats and winter wear.
This year, 500 new coats, 200+ pairs of gloves and 100+ new hats were distributed. The retail value of these items is more than $22,000.
“We are grateful to Poul, his family, Old Navy and Poul’s clients for their support, but not as grateful as the many struggling families who are touched by their generosity. Somewhere this morning, a little girl stood proudly at a cold bus stop showing off her new coat while her mother took comfort in knowing her daughter would be safe and warm this winter,” said Elysa Hamlin, Donor Communications Coordinator, Society of St. Vincent de Paul. “The generous spirit of Poul and everyone who contributed to purchasing over 500 new coats has given comfort and hope to many local families and we can’t thank them enough.”
The coats were distributed by St. Vincent de Paul on December 10, 2012.
“While the coats and winterwear are distributed here in Cincinnati, we get support from my clients all over the country,” said Lemasters. “Two well-known Cincinnati establishments have supported us every single year of the coat drive: Gwen Mooney Funeral Home and Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum. I am always so grateful to these businesses; both local and not-so, who contribute to keep residents of our city warmer.”
Supporting companies in this year’s coat drive include:
—Rebecca Ehlert, Wauwatosa, WI —Michael and Victoria Uselton, Palmetto, WI —Gwen Mooney Funeral Home, Cincinnati, OH —Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, OH —Legacy Funeral Group, Houston, TX —Legacytouch / Cremation Safeguard, Lee's Summit, MO —Live Oak Banking Co., Wilmington, NC —NGL Insurance Group, Madison, WI —Paxus Services, Inc, Boerne, TX —Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, OH
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