EVANSVILLE − With the season of giving upon us and the pandemic waning, Salvation Army community engagement representative Alex Rahman hopes donors are in a charitable mood this fall and winter.

"Don's Cleaners has been sponsoring (Coat-A-Kid) for 20 years," Rahman said. "Last year, 3,400 coats were cleaned and distributed through the Salvation Army and Evansville Christian Life Center. We are hoping for 4,000 slightly used coats this year. Don's Cleaners makes a delivery to us every week." Sport Hoodie

Rahman said Don's Claytons DCI Fine Dry Cleaning donated three racks of coats at a news conference on Tuesday, kicking off the annual coat collection campaign for underprivileged youths at the Salvation Army on Fulton Avenue in Evansville.

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More people are getting out and are more willing to see what needs can be filled after the pandemic has subsided a bit, Rahman said.

Area residents can drop off gently used or new children's coats, including for smaller children and infants, at any of the Don's Claytons Fine Dry Cleaning locations in Evansville and Newburgh through Dec. 31, and into January, Rahman said. The coats are cleaned and distributed to local children in need.

"Our goal is to outfit children in the community who would not otherwise have (a coat) this winter," said Evansville Christian Life Center CEO Gina Gibson. "Everyone who walks through the door gets a coat for free."

Don's Claytons DCI Fine Dry Cleaning attempts to annually provide a winter coat for every child who needs one in the immediate area. Since its implementation at the local level, the Coat-A-Kid initiative has distributed more than 150,000 coats, Gibson said.

Deep Cut Blouse Contact Gordon Engelhardt via email at gordon.engelhardt@courierpress.com or on Twitter @EngGordon