CHESTNUTHILL TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Sorting through bags and bags of clothing, volunteers at Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network near Brodheadsville are having a hard time coming across winter necessities.
"We haven't gotten any donations of winter coats which we are desperate for. There are a lot of families who have children who don't have winter stuff," said volunteer Elaine Barattini.
Directors say while they do get coat donations, the coats have been lighter and more fit for spring and fall.
The goal is to collect as many winter coats, hats, and gloves for boys, girls, men, and women before the next clothing distribution on Friday.
"What we do really need a lot of are the larger sized coats. We kind of got wiped out of those," said Hope Christman, PVEN executive director.
If you have a winter coat that you would like to donate, there are a few different ways that you can do it. You can bring it to the facility. If it's not open, put it in a bin that's strictly just for coats. There are also a few different businesses with drop-off locations.
"When people give to the businesses, that is very generous, really. They take the time and effort to help us out and it really is a community affair," said Barattini
"The coats that we give are absolutely free to people in the community who have a need for them. If someone has a coat that they aren't using and it's in the closet, we can certainly use that here in our community," said Christman.
Directors say if you can't make it to the facility, West End Happenings and West End Printing in Gilbert, as well as Direct Connections just outside of Brodheadsville are also collecting coats for the pantry.