JFS hosting another kids’ coat and shoe distribution
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Dec. 27, 2023) – Families struggling to make ends meet can again get free kids’ coats and shoes at the local JFS office.
Eligibility Supervisor Debbie Whitney says they have over 200 coats and a hundred pairs of shoes in a wide range of sizes to give out thanks to the continuation of last year’s partnership between the governor’s office and Operation Warm organization.
“You have to sign up that you’re interested in being a distributor… They look at the size of your area and the demand and things like that, and then they choose certain agencies or buildings to offer these items, so it’s completely free. There’s no charge to us. They just ship them to us, and we pass them out.”
Households with incomes at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level are eligible for the distribution that begins at 8 am Tuesday. Whitney says participants will be asked to fill out a one-page form where they’ll list the names and birthdates of their children and attest that they meet the income requirements.
“Then they’ll be free to pick out whatever it is that they could use. If they want to bring their children with them to try these things on, that’s perfectly acceptable, but it’s not required.”
Items will be available on a first-come, first-served basis until the end of next week although Whitney suggests stopping by sooner rather than later since some sizes may run out before others.