The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and WLWT Channel 5 collected 5,124 new and gently-used coats during the 9th annual 5 Cares Coat Drive between October 19 and December 4, 2009, with the help of partners Gold Star Chili, City Dash, local fire departments and Starr Printing Services, Inc. This year’s total collection surpassed the goal by over 25%.

St. Vincent de Paul supplies coats to its own clients, as well as to other agencies that also work directly with those in need. “Thanks to the generous community support and our corporate partners, we are able to provide coats, to help our neighbors and their children stay warm this winter,” said Liz Carter, Executive Director of St. Vincent de Paul. “There was this little girl at one of the coat distributions, with the most infectious smile and giggle. She found a shiny purple coat with fur on the collar. When I complimented her, she said she loved it because her mom’s coat is shiny and purple. How blessed we are that we were able to make that happen for her, and other children like her.”

This project is made possible by the firefighters and volunteers who collect the coats, transport, sort and distribute the coats, and the generosity of area residents.