Coats for the Cold has been a Knoxville tradition for more than 30 years. WIVK-FM started this coat drive when a news story reported that a homeless man had frozen to death on the streets of Knoxville one cold winter night. Since then, Coats for the Cold strikes a powerful chord each year within the volunteer spirit of East Tennessee.

Knox Area Rescue Ministries now spearheads the coat drive each year in partnership with WIVK-FM and WVLT-TV, who help broadcast the message; Prestige Cleaners, who acts as an additional collection site and cleans as many coats as possible; and especially with KARM Stores, who manage all storage and distribution of the coats.

tnConnect is proud to serve as a collection site for coats again in 2021.  Drop off your donations anytime between October 18th and November 10th.

Thank you for your support!

For more information or volunteer opportunities, visit here.

Those in need of a coat are encouraged to contact local service agencies or churches to receive a coat voucher, then shop at any KARM Stores location with the voucher during the coat distribution period.