You know the morning. You step outside, the air bites a little harder than it did yesterday, and you think, okay, time to dig out the coats. For a lot of families, that thought comes with a second one: does everybody have a coat that fits?
Kids grow. Last March’s coat won’t zip around a ten-year-old by November, and hand-me-downs wear thin by the time they reach the youngest. When money is tight, a new coat lands on the same list as rent and groceries.
A good coat is about more than staying warm. It means waiting at the bus stop without shivering, playing outside at recess instead of staying in, and walking into school without feeling like everyone is noticing what you don’t have. Kids notice those things, even when they never say a word. Parents notice too, and it quietly weighs on them every single morning.
That’s why we hold the TNMF Annual Coat Drive every year, and we would really love your help. Donate a new or gently used coat that’s clean, with working zippers and no rips. We collect coats in kids, teen, and adult sizes. Hats, gloves, scarves, and warm socks go a long way. If you’d rather not shop, an online gift lets us buy the exact sizes families ask for. You can also set up a collection box at your job, church, school, or team practice, and we’ll happily come pick it up.
Drop-off location and dates: 5011 Arbutus Ave, Baltimore, MD 21215, Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm. And if you can’t give right now, sharing this post helps more than you’d think. Somebody on your timeline has a closet full of coats their kids have outgrown and has been meaning to pass them on. This is one of the easiest ways to help.
If your family needs a coat this winter, please reach out. You don’t need to explain or prove anything. Just tell us who needs one and what sizes, and we’ll do our best to cover them. Call (667) 400-0231 or email info@thenextmovefoundation.org.
A warm coat shouldn’t be a luxury. It should be something every kid and every grown-up in our community has when the weather turns. One coat. One kid. One warmer walk to school. Thank you so much for being part of it, whether you give a coat, share this post, or simply tell a neighbor that help is here.
