It’s almost that time of year to bundle up once again. That’s why Mercer Savings Bank is proud to select Our Home Family Resource Center as the October recipient of its Giving Mission donation. Our Home was selected for October’s donations because of the annual Winter Warmth Day that they hold in conjunction with the Celina Kiwanis. In order to help ensure the families of Mercer County stay warm this winter season, there will be a coat drive at the Irmscher Boulevard office during the month of October. Members of the public, along with staff, are invited to contribute.
“We appreciate the donation very much. We are always in need of support,” says Kathy Mescher, director at Our Home Family Resource Center. “We are truly grateful to Mercer Savings Bank for supporting this effort.”
What is the Winter Warmth Day Coat Drive?
The Winter Warmth Day coat drive is a partnership between Our Home Family Resource Center and the Kiwanis Club of Celina to collect new and/or gently-used coats to redistribute to Mercer County families in need.
Coat collection boxes will be set up at 20-30 locations throughout Mercer County during the first three weeks of October. Anyone can donate coats, hats, mittens and scarves, sizes infant to adult.
A Winter Warmth Day will then be held on October 26 in a storefront in the Chief Plaza in Celina. All donated coats will be sorted and hung in the store for families to come in during the day and select a coat(s) they need for free.
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“Kids grow out of coats so quickly, and this is a great opportunity to help ensure families have that extra layer of warmth they will need in the winter,” Kathy says.
The coat drive brought in about 500 coats last year, with 300-400 distributed during Winter Warmth Day. Items not distributed that day are taken to other local non-profits to be given out during the winter.
- To donate coats or accessories, look for Winter Warmth Day collection boxes at local businesses or churches, or feel free to drop them off at Our Home, 117 W. Fayette St., in Celina.
- The organization can use the help of volunteers to sort and hang coats and work during the Winter Warmth Day. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Our Home Family Resource Center.
What’s Next for Our Home Family Resource Center?
After the coat drive wraps up, the Our Home team will be gearing up for its next big event — the Angel Tree program.
The Angel Tree program places tags on Christmas trees at businesses and churches throughout the county. Residents grab a tag and purchase a toy or clothing item for a child; there are no names listed, just an age and gender.
Donors return all their purchased gifts, and a shopping center is set up in the Celina First Church of God on a day in early December. Parents who have signed their children up this program are invited to the store at a designated time and can select two toys and an outfit for each of their children at no cost.
Volunteers even wrap the gifts before the parents leave.
“Almost 900 kids received gifts through the Angel Tree program last year,” Kathy says. “It is just a wonderful program and way to give back.”
Again, Kathy notes Our Home welcomes volunteers to help out with collecting, setting up the store and wrapping gifts on the day of the event.
What Else Does Our Home Family Resource Center Do?
Our Home Family Resource Center is a nonprofit family of programs that supports individuals and families in Mercer County.
An important function of Our Home is to provide a central entry point through which people can find and receive support during times of need. The programs of Our Home include:
- Family Crisis Network — a program to provide residents with guidance, shelter and advocacy necessary to escape domestic violence and/or to report sexual assault.
- Direct Services & Referral — a program providing residents with a place to find and receive support during times of need. It includes a food pantry and emergency financial assistance for things such as utility shut-offs, evictions, medical expenses, personal care supplies, baby food, diapers, gas vouchers and more.
- RAFT Visitation Center — a center to provide supervised visitation services for Mercer County and the surrounding area during times of separation, divorce, addiction and domestic violence to ensure healthy child development.
- Mercer County Family & Children First Council — a program to build a unique treatment plan and deliver services to a family in a simple, organized way. This reduces barriers and duplicate efforts among agencies and helps provide a full utilization of funding resources.
To learn more about Our Home Family Resource Center, visit them online or follow their social channels on Facebook and Twitter.
