With winter in full swing and the holidays past us, it’s an opportunity for all of us to do something good with our time, or perhaps a few coats that no longer fit members of your family.

How about donating them to a worthy cause?

Cradles to Crayons Chicago (C2C) launches its annual “Gear Up for Winter” initiative to provide Chicagoland children with 50,000 winter coats, free-of-charge. As the only national organization addressing Children’s Clothing Insecurity on a large scale, C2C seeks donations of new and like-new winter coats to provide to its network of over 70+ service partners who directly provide essential social and health services to families.

“2 in 5 American kids are unable to adequately dress themselves daily, and in Chicago, more than 23% of children live in poverty. With the record-high inflation, energy crisis, and household hardship, families on limited budgets face ‘heat or eat’ decisions this winter,” said Dawn Melchiorre, Executive Director of Cradles to Crayons Chicago. “The coats we provide will be a critical lifeline for families who will not be able to heat their homes sufficiently this winter. This is an urgent matter. For those more fortunate, we ask that as you clean your closets to make room for new attire, consider donating at one of our 30+ drop-off sites. We’re grateful for our individual and corporate supporters who helped us get our first round of coat donations. Still, we need the community’s support to provide the remaining coats to ensure our children stay safe and warm this winter.”

Through February 2023, C2C will collect coat donations (size newborn to adult medium) and other donations at the North Center Giving Factory and 30+ participating Chicagoland locations (listed below) and distribute them directly to partners. Coats can also be purchased through C2C’s Amazon winter wish list, and monetary donations can be received online here.

Participating drop-off sites:

Arlington Heights: Bank of America (1300 North Arlington Heights Rd.,

Buffalo Grove, IL 60089)

Beverly: Quilter’s Trunk (10352 S Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60643)

Bridgeport: McGuane Park (2901 S Poplar Ave, Chicago, IL 60608)

Bucktown: Windy City Fieldhouse (2367 W Logan Blvd, Chicago, IL 60647)

Buffalo Grove: Alcott Center (530 Bernard Dr, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089)

Buffalo Grove: Buffalo Grove Park Community Arts Center (225 McHenry Rd, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089)

Countryside: Flying High Sports & Rec Center (5400 East Ave. Countryside, IL 60525)

Deerfield: Sachs Recreation Center (455 Lake Cook Rd, Deerfield, IL 60015)

Downers Grove: Indian Boundary YMCA (711 59th St, Downers Grove, IL 60516)

Edgewater: Edgewater Playhouse (1048 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Chicago, IL 60660)

Evanston: Little Beans Café (430 Asbury Ave, Evanston, IL 60202)

Graceland West: Cloud and Bunny (1600 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60613) Grayslake: Grayslake Community Park District (240 Commerce Dr. Grayslake, IL 60030)

Highwood: Highwood Public Library (102 Highwood Ave., Highwood, IL 60040)

Hyde Park: KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation (1100 E Hyde Park Blvd. Chicago, IL 60615)

Irving Park: Children’s Lighthouse of North Center Chicago (2600 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60618)

Irving Park: Irving Park YMCA (4251 W Irving Park Rd. Chicago, IL 60641)

Irving Park: Ultimate Ninjas Chicago (2915 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618)

La Grange Park: First United Methodist Church of LaGrange (100 W. Cossitt Ave. LaGrange, IL 60525)

Little Village: Rauner YMCA (2700 S Western Ave. Chicago, IL 60608)

Logan Square: Moonwalker Café (4101 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60641)

Logan Square: McCormick YMCA (1834 N Lawndale Ave. Chicago, IL 60647)

Marrionette Park: Morgan Park Sports Center (11505 S Western Ave. Chicago, IL 60643)

Naperville: Bank of America (1301 E. Ogden Ave., Naperville, IL 60563)

Naperville: Fry Family YMCA (2120 W, 2120 95th St, Naperville, IL 60564)

North Center: The Giving Factory (2500 W Bradley Pl. Chicago, IL 60618)

Oak Forest: Acorn Library (15624 Central Ave, Oak Forest, IL 60452)

Ravenswood: Fit City Kids (2540 W Lawrence Ave. Chicago, IL 60625)

River North: East Bank Storage (429 W Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60654)

Roscoe Village: Universal Wellness Source (1902 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657)

Uptown: Alternatives, Inc. (4730 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60640)

Uptown: CircEsteem (4730 N Sheridan Rd. Chicago, IL 60640) Uptown:

Mathnasium Ravenswood (1754 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640)

Waukegan: Belvidere Recreation Center (412 S Lewis Ave Waukegan, IL 60085)

Waukegan: Waukegan Field House (800 Baldwin Ave. Waukegan, IL 60085)

Winnetka: Community House Winnetka (620 Lincoln Ave. Winnetka, IL 60093)

Wicker Park: Creative Scholars Preschool (1735 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60642)

Woodlawn: South Side YMCA (6330 S. Stony Island Ave., Chicago, IL 60637)

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