FRANKFORT, Ind. — When temperatures drop, some Clinton County children still get to school without a proper coat. For the last 20 years, the Frankfort Knights of Columbus has worked to fix that.
Through its Coats for Kids program, the Knights give 100 to 130 brand-new coats each year to the Boys & Girls Club, which hands them out to children who need them. Tom Dickerson of the Knights of Columbus talked about the program with Kaspar Media.
“Historically there were a lot of organizations that were involved with Coats for Kids, and I think over the years it just kind of fell by the wayside for most of them,” Dickerson said.
About 20 years ago, the national Knights of Columbus started its own Coats for Kids project. It offers coats to local councils, which raise money to buy them. Dickerson said the coats are made just for the Knights of Columbus and are very high quality. Hundreds of thousands are handed out across the country each year.
In Clinton County, the program costs about $2,500 a year. That pays for the coats plus hats and gloves. Dickerson said the Frankfort Lions Club has long been a major supporter and donates every year.
Referrals Based on Need
Dickerson said neither the Knights of Columbus nor any other sponsoring group decides who gets a coat. The Boys & Girls Club gives coats only to children who are referred based on need. Most referrals come from Clinton County schools, where teachers and staff notice students showing up in freezing weather without a proper coat.
“Trusting the Boys and Girls Club to distribute them to the people that need them is really important,” Dickerson said.
The coats are for children kindergarten through high school and come in small, medium and large sizes.
Every coat is brand-new, never worn, and still in its package.
“The children in our community are the most vulnerable, and they can’t help it if they can’t find a coat or buy a coat or maybe they lost a coat,” Dickerson said. “So it’s an important need.”
Coats Arriving Soon
This year’s coats have already arrived. Dickerson said they should reach the Boys & Girls Club within about 10 days. The club had a few coats left over from last year, and the Knights work to make sure the supply never runs out.
“If they still need coats, we try and get them,” he said.
How to Help
Dickerson said the Knights would welcome more businesses and service groups as partners.
“I think service groups can come together over a need like Coats for Kids,” he said. “It’s an easy project, and it’s one that’s needed.”
To help or learn more, you can contact the Knights of Columbus through Mike Dickerson or Jim Guckien, or call Father Paul at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Frankfort. For the Lions Club, Owen Matts and Chuck Tedrick are good contacts.
“It’s something that St. Mary’s, and especially the Knights of Columbus, have felt very good about doing,” Dickerson said. “We appreciate any help that we get.”