Coats and shoes doled out to needy

Cold weather has inched its way into Carson City.

Children in Transition Program director Kim Riggs said that because of the change in weather some children need coats and shoes are getting them now.

"I think every child should be warm," said Riggs.

The Carson City School in Children in Transition program has been collecting coats for several years to hand out to needy children.

"Without the community's involvement the children wouldn't be receiving what they are getting now," said Riggs.

Lee Jones, chairman for the employee group at Southwest Gas in Carson City, said that the employees volunteer team took a vote this year and decided to contribute shoos for homeless children.

"We like giving back to the community," Jones said. "The volunteers have given to different projects, such as the Carson River cleanup, and we're always sponsoring children at Christmas."

He said that fact that there are people living in their cars, out of boxes really concerned workers.

"We work for a great company and make a good living, and so we want to give back to the community," he said.

The shoes will go to the program.

Coats come from community donations. Riggs said that one donor recently handed over 12 new coats the woman bought last fall at clearance.

Donations of used coats can be made as well.

Mercury Cleaners owners Mark Frady, owner, and his wife, Carla, have been taking coat donations at the cleaners for several years. Frady estimates that they have take in more than 500 coats during the past years.

"We clean and repair them and then we turn them over to Kim for dispersal," he said. "There are needy people out there and this is just our way of being a part of this community. We do a lot of things like this."