Blue Coats Keep Homeless Warm
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Youngstown Blue Coats collects coats, gloves, hats, boots, sleeping bags and other warm items. It distributes them to homeless veterans and others.
The organization, founded in 2017, works with area agencies to provide each person it encounters the resources he or she needs. Its CEO is Patty Summers.
Blue Coats depends entirely on volunteers and all funds raised go directly to meet its goals. In addition to keeping people warm, the group also identifies and addresses other health care needs.
In 2021, the nonprofit held more distribution events than any previous year. These take place at shelters and veterans’ organizations and are in collaboration with other organizations.
In the 2020-2021 season (November through April), Youngstown Blue Coats directly assisted 437 veterans, 947 additional men, 455 additional women, 43 children and 167 unsheltered individuals.
The organization raised more than $40,000 last year, another record high, according to Summers.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
