Rochester to Collect Heavy Outerwear for Thousands
When Julie Ruzek, Advisory Board Member of The Salvation Army in Rochester, MN, first saw an elementary age child walking to school in the winter wearing knee high socks and sandals, her immediate reaction was, "that's not ok with me, and it shouldn't be ok with others, either." The little boy had on a coat that was too short, and on this day, the snow was up to his waist.
Thank goodness, the school this child attended had a resource room, one of five that exist in the Rochester Public School System (RPS). In Rochester, The Salvation Army works with RPS to get resources like winter outerwear, food, back to school clothing, and Christmas presents to struggling families. This year, the team in Rochester is starting to collect outerwear early in the hopes of collecting as many coats as they need to give every adult and child in need a coat this winter.
"We want to encourage everyone in our community to rethink the need for winter outerwear," said Ruzek, "Not only does The Salvation Army provide coats, boots, and waterproof, insulated gloves for our homeless neighbors, but to children who come in every shape and size. There are kids who wear XL sizes who are still in elementary school. We know that people love to donate cutesy little outerwear items, but the things that will really help people are things that will keep them warm."
Last year, The Salvation Army received donations of hundreds more hats than mittens or winter gloves. Staff shared that, while hats are important, insulated, waterproof gloves are worth their weight in gold, as they are the thing people donate least frequently. "It's important that people think about what's really going to help someone through a Minnesota winter," said Corrine Erickson, another Advisory Board Member of the Rochester Salvation Army, "I think people think they're doing the most by donating as many items as they can manage, but in the case of little cloth gloves, or fall jackets, people would make more of a positive difference by donating one item that's really heavy duty than by donating 10 items that aren't made for snow or bitter cold.
"Whenever I see a deal at a store on something really warm, I grab it. We hope that everyone will think to contribute to this coat collection in whatever ways they are able. People don't have to spend hundreds of dollars if they aren't able to do that, but if someone is able to spend $10, $20, or $30 here and there on really warm items, that makes a really big difference when everyone contributes."
Ruzek added, "It's also important that people listen to their gut instinct when donating items for others. If the item you're thinking of donating isn't something you would wear yourself, or something you wouldn't send your child to school wearing, don't try to give it to someone else. It's important to think about what the phrase 'gently used' means: that zippers work, that buttons aren't missing, that seems aren't ripped, and that items don't have holes in them."
The Salvation Army has long rejected the notion that beggars can't be choosers. The hope of the annual coat distribution is that it would be a dignified experience for individuals and families. "We hope that children who receive coats, boots, snow pants, gloves, all of it, from The Salvation Army, that they would go to school the next day, and no one would know that their coats didn't come from a store like the coats their peers are wearing," said Major Candace Voeller, Corps Officer of The Salvation Army in Rochester, "The same thing applies to the adults we support. Not all of our clients are homeless or unemployed. We want people going to work or school to feel just as warm and comfortable in their coats as their colleagues."
Many services provided by The Salvation Army all year round are intended to address basic needs like healthcare and housing. The organization hopes that their efforts to meet these needs would result in opportunities for people to improve their circumstances beyond the true basics. "If a child goes to school without a coat or boots or mittens to keep them warm, if they don't have that basic need met, how can we expect them to do well in school? Or to develop through play with other children on the playground at recess?," said Ruzek.
"If we want our children to become thriving citizens down the road, we need to ensure their basic needs are met while they are children. It's easy to think that this isn't the need that it is because we don't see it as much as we see the needs of our homeless neighbors. If we came together as a community, we could address this entire problem more deeply, but it has to be a broad group of people who want to join us to meet the need."
The Salvation Army in Rochester, MN, will collect heavy coats, winter boots, insulated gloves, and insulated hats at the 115 First Avenue NE social services building from now through the end of the winter season in 2025. The organization will also host a one-day outerwear collection event on Monday, October 14, 2024 at 20 First Avenue NE in Rochester.
If you or someone you know is in need of outerwear for themselves or their family, please call 507-288-3663. The Salvation Army will host an outerwear distribution event on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. After that date, outerwear will be available to those in need at 115 First Avenue NE through resource room in that facility.
Other wintertime services for families will include a distribution of Thanksgiving groceries, in partnership with Hy-Vee, to families identified by the school system. The Salvation Army also distributes Christmas gifts to nearly 1,000 children each year through the Toy & Joy Shop in Rochester, which will take place in mid-December.
Anyone with questions about these services or The Salvation Army’s greatest needs is encouraged to call 507-288-3663 or to email info.Rochester.MN@usc.salvationarmy.org for more information. Thank you and God Bless You for your support.