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.
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.