Coats for Kids brings warmth to children

Intermountain Catholic

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Last year the Utah Knights of Columbus distributed hundreds of coats during a distribution at the St. Vincent de Paul dining hall. IC file photo

SALT LAKE CITY – For the past five years, the Utah Knights of Columbus councils have distributed thousands of coats to the many families with young children that struggle in these challenging economic times.

"The Knights of Columbus saw that there were a lot of children that were going through winter without a coat, and that’s how it started. We saw the need of putting coats on kids," said Robert E. Masse Jr., State Deputy of the Knights of Columbus.

This year the Knights will distribute about 900 coats at sites in the Ogden and Salt Lake City areas.

"Our group in Utah County, in Provo, in conjunction with the community event and Shop With a Cop – they give the child a coat," Masse said.

Also, the Knights will work with Catholic Community Services, with distributions in Ogden on Dec. 7 and another in Salt Lake City at on Dec. 14.

In Tooele the Knights at St. Marguerite Parish will distribute more than 300 coats, Masse said.

"The Knights have also done collections in Cedar City and St. George, in which they will give around 100 coats," said Masse.

Statewide the Knights are expected to distribute around 1,300 coats total this year.

"It’s amazing just to see the smiles on their faces when they get the coat," said Masse, who extended a "thank you" to the community whose generosity helped to make all this possible.

In the past, at the Saint Vincent de Paul Dining Hall distribution in Salt Lake City, the Knights also have given hats, scarfs and mittens to the children and even coats to the parents.

"Last year it was really exciting in that we had some extra coats and some of the parents came wrapped in blankets, and we were able to put a coat even on the parents and that’s helpful; we can do to keep them warm," said Masse, inviting the community to keep donating to the Knights either through their local parishes or through the Knights of Columbus web page, www.utahknights.org.

Masse wants people to remember that "as we wrap up the Year of Faith we have to keep on with our charity. Here in Utah we have these especially cold winters and when you put a coat on a child and you see their smiles, it just warms your heart."

Since 2009, the Knights of Columbus has distributed more than 115,000 coats to kids throughout the United States and Canada.