Local drycleaner takes on ‘Coats for Kids’ campaign to help vulnerable stay warm this winter

"Page the Cleaner" has taken over this year's "Coats for Kids & Families" donation drive after United Way stepped back from the program.

A long-time drycleaner in the Edmonton area is taking the reins on a charity campaign that will help those in need stay warm this winter.

Page the Cleaner is continuing the “Coats for Kids & Families” campaign after their charity partner, United Way of Alberta Capital Region, had to step away from the program following the strategic decision to close one of its centres.

“We just really saw that the need is so great in the community that we couldn’t let this program lapse and leave our charity partners (and) the distribution partners without this influx of coats that are really needed at this time of year,” Page the Cleaner CEO Holly Jones told CTV News Edmonton on Wednesday.

The United Way said it closed the InKind Exchange warehouse in order to focus on front-line services.

“We are thrilled that our trusted, long-time partner, Page the Cleaner, is now leading this important work,” Chris Tse with the United Way said in a statement to CTV News Edmonton on Friday.

The clothing drive that collects new or gently-used winter wear has been running in the city for more than 30 years. This year, “Coats for Kids & Families” will be accepting items at designated drop-off locations from Oct. 15 to Nov. 30.

Accepted donation items include winter coats, toques, mittens, scarves, snow pants, winter boots and insulated work boots of all sizes.

Jones said that about 10,000 to 15,000 coats are collected each year through the program. She said while Page the Cleaner has been a long-time partner, cleaning the coats each year, it will be a big “learning curve” to figure out the logistics of collection, sorting, and getting the coats to those in need.

“We’ve been around since 1935 and so it’s kind of a coincidence that this kind of fell on our plate this year, but I think our team are really excited for the challenge and really excited to help as many people as possible,” Jones said, adding that Page the Cleaner is celebrating its 90th anniversary in Edmonton this year.

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Donations can be dropped off at the Page the Cleaner locations in Edmonton and St. Albert. A list of additional sites will be updated on their website as they work to confirm more locations.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Galen McDougall