Winter gear needed for Charitable Union annual coat drive

Nick Buckley, Battle Creek Enquirer
·2 min read
In this Oct. 19, 2021 photo, Coats are available for free to families in need at Charitable Union in Battle Creek, Michigan.
In this Oct. 19, 2021 photo, Coats are available for free to families in need at Charitable Union in Battle Creek, Michigan.

As temperatures begin to dip, Battle Creek's Charitable Union is asking the community for help to keep those who are most vulnerable warm.

Started in 1887, Charitable Union is Battle Creek's longest-standing charitable organization, and remains true to its original purpose of providing clothing and household items to those in need. The nonprofit at 85 Calhoun St. offers clothing, personal care items, baby formula, steel-toed shoes and household items free of charge to Calhoun County residents living with Bridge, Medicaid, and WIC cards.

Partnering with local schools, businesses and organizations, Charitable Union has kicked off its annual winter gear and coat drive, which provides more than 2,000 warm coats, hats, gloves and scarves to people in need each year.

The following items are the most needed sizes by gender:

∙ Boys' 12 months, 3T, 7, 12, 16, 18 and 20.

∙ Girls' 12 months, 18 months, 6, 7, 8, 16, 18 and 20.

∙ Men's small, medium and XX-large.

∙ Women's small, medium and XX-large.

Items can be dropped off at the following locations during normal business hours through Oct. 31:

∙ Battle Creek Hearing Center

∙ Battle Creek Honda

∙ BlueOx Credit Union

∙ Calhoun Christian School

∙ Calhoun County Prosecutor's Office

∙ Ermisch Travel

∙ Fifth Third Bank

∙ Flagstar Bank

∙ Ganton Senior Communities

∙ Grace Health

∙ Grand Trunk Credit Union

∙ Harper Creek Schools

∙ Honor Credit Union (all three branches)

∙ Integrated Health Partners

∙ KALSEE Credit Union

∙ Kellogg Community Credit Union (all five branches)

∙ Lakeview Ford

∙ Lakeview High School

∙ Northpoint Woods

∙ Podolsky & Wickham, PLLC

∙ Southern Michigan Bank & Trust

∙ Sunshine Toyota

∙ Wells Fargo

∙ Willard Library

∙ Worges Insurance

Charitable Union at 85 Calhoun St. in Battle Creek has partnered with local schools, businesses and organizations for its annual winter gear and coat drive.
Charitable Union at 85 Calhoun St. in Battle Creek has partnered with local schools, businesses and organizations for its annual winter gear and coat drive.

Items can additionally be dropped off at Charitable Union from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Charitable Union will host its annual "Coats for Kids" event the week of Oct. 25. Families can all the office at 269-964-7234 to schedule an appointment. Beginning Nov. 1, coats will be available in the Charitable Union Free Store during regular business hours. Coats are limited to one person each season.

To donate or for more information, visit charitableunion.org.

Contact reporter Nick Buckley at nbuckley@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-966-0652. Follow him on Twitter:@NickJBuckley

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Winter gear needed for Charitable Union annual coat drive in Battle Creek