Local churches and businesses team up for jacket drive
Gilroy – Local churches and two dry cleaning stores have set an admirable goal for this holiday season: to get warm jackets to those in need.
“We’ve started what we’re calling “Beautiful Day” jacket drive to help people out when the temperatures drop,” said Mark Turner, outreach pastor at South Valley Community Church. “We’re doing what we can to help those in need of coats and jackets. We’re trying to provide the gift of warmth this winter.”
Turner added that temperatures in Gilroy can often dip below freezing in the dead of winter, making warm jackets not just a comfort, but a necessity.
People who want to donate to the drive should take their extra jackets to either First Choice Cleaners or Classic Cleaners, both located on First Street. Mention the jacket drive and pay for the jacket to be dry cleaned. Both cleaners will charge just half price for the service. Then volunteers from Calvary Chapel or South Valley Community Church will pick up clean coats and jackets from the cleaners to pass out to those in need. The drive is going on now but will end Monday.
“We’ve already had people bringing jackets in – we’ve gotten about six in so far,” said Berta Nunez, who works at Classic Cleaners. “We’ll clean as many as people bring in, so hopefully they’ll keep coming. Because we’re only charging half price, we’re essentially donating the other half of the price.”
Classic Cleaners’ owner, Alex Choi, said he wanted to be part of the drive as a service to the churches and to give people in need something warm to help them get through the winter.
