by peter e. bortner
Everyone needs a warm coat for the winter, and the Salvation Army Pottsville Corps and the Schuylkill County Bar Association combined Thursday afternoon to help meet that need.
Association members donated more than 100 coats, and Salvation Army members and volunteers picked them up to prepare them for distribution from noon to 1 p.m. today at the 400 Sanderson St. center.
"There is a need for coats for people to keep warm," corps Capt. Tammy Hench said while laying out the coats in the center's gymnasium. "Children outgrow their coats."
Not only that, but an entire family's coats can get lost due to an economic setback, she said.
"When people get kicked out (of a house or an apartment), everything gets left behind," Hench said.
Sudhir R. Patel, the association's new president, said he and his fellow lawyers enjoy helping their fellow citizens who otherwise might be suffering through the winter.
"It's important as a bar association to do as much as we can to give back to the community," Patel said. "Winter months tend to be a lot tougher on families."
That need continues to grow, and not just for coats, Hench said.
"Our soup kitchen numbers, our food pantry numbers, our Christmas help numbers have greatly increased," she said. "We believe it's because of economics in our county."
Salvation Army volunteer Russell Cramer knows the need is great and donates much of his time around Christmas to helping out. He spent part of Thursday helping to sort the coats in order to help families make ends meet.
"I've known the Salvation Army my entire life," he said. "I spend an entire week at Christmas helping out. I take my vacation every year to be here."
Capt. Adam Hench, Tammy's husband and co-leader of the center, said the coats fill a great need, especially in difficult economic times when too many people must make painful choices.
"They decide to feed their family before buying a new coat," he said.
Patel is happy the association is helping to fill that need, saying that it has donated more than 1,000 coats since starting the drives.
"It's been a real successful campaign," he said.