Barry Lewis
Community Editor

With the forecast calling for snow flurries later this week the thoughts of winter coats finally come to the minds of county residents.

However, not everyone has the money to buy winter coats. Area cleaners have decided that no one should go cold this winter and have opted to collect coats for the "Coats for Kids" project.

Mac's Cleaners, located at 201 W. Main St., is involved with the program for the first time.

"I think all the cleaners in town are involved this year," manager Ena Regnier said. "We are accepting all sizes of coats, all the way from infants to adults."

Regnier said any coat either gently used or new will be accepted. Those which have been used will be cleaned free of charge and will then be distributed to different agencies. The infant coats will go to the Well Baby Clinic to be handed out. Children coats will be distributed to area schools to be handed out and the adult coats will be handed out through FISH.

There is no deadline for dropping off coats at Mac's.

"Donations are always welcome," Regnier said. "People can just bring them in whenever they want."

The same program is being sponsored at Neighborhood Cleaners, located on 407 Waynetown Road.

"We were contacted by Tuttle Middle School," Star Deaton, manager, said. "This is the first year we have participated so we don't really know what to expect. We will give our coats to Tuttle unless they are for kids smaller than they have. If that is the case then we will find someplace for them. The same will be true for adult coats. They won't go to waste."

Donations may be dropped off at Neighborhood Cleaners from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

Boulevard Cleaners is also participating in the program. They are located at 1400 Ladoga Road.

"People can drop coats off at anytime," Paula Hutson said. "They just need to tell us if the coats are to be part of the Coats for Kids project."