The Langdon Community Church (LCC) annual Winter Outerwear Exchange is helping families who are experiencing tough times prepare for winter.
“If you have a need come shop,” said organizer Krystal Wawrzyniak.
The program facilitates the free exchange of winter clothing.
“Not everybody has the ability to purchase new items,” she said.
Donations of new and lightly used winter outerwear have been collected by the church since Oct. 25 are being accepted until the giveaway starts.
“We will not turn away a donation,” she said.
The LCC is looking for donations of jackets, snow pants, toques, gloves scarfs and boots.
“New or used, just good condition, if you would wear it if your children would wear it,” she said of the donations she is looking for the program.
All of the donations will be sorted by volunteers and made available for pick-up on a drop in basis from the church Nov. 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Donations are given…and we give them away for free,” she said.
Coffee and hot chocolate will be provided for free during the pick-up event.
Wawrzyniak said that it’s important for local groups to help out their community.
“We have the manpower and the ability to do it,” she said.
With the current economic downturn Wawrzyniak realizes there could be increased demand for the program this year.
“It wouldn’t surprise me,” she said.
That said, she hasn’t heard directly if there will be more demand for the Winter Outerwear Exchange in Langdon and is running the program the same as in past years.
The downturn has hit both rural and urban areas she said.
“It doesn’t matter how big or how small the demand is, we still want to be able to facilitate it so that everybody can have warm clothes,” said Wawrzyniak.
The program is partnering with the Jacket Racket in Chestermere to distribute and donations collected there that don’t get used in the city.
“When their exchange is finished…whatever’s left over I’m just going to go pick it up,” said Wawrzyniak, “and then we will set it up and organize it here.”
If there is an abundance of donations left after the end of the pick-up event Nov. 5, they will extend it to Nov. 6 as well.
“If there is an abundance left then we’ll run it on the Sunday as well,” said Wawrzyniak.
“I have found in the past that the first day of pick up is usually really busy,” she said.
