Kenny the Kleeners helps Local Rotary with Coat Drive

In Chicagoland, winter holds-on for a long time. The winter coats and jackets collected by the Rotary Club of Skokie Valley before Christmas are still being distributed to those in need throughout the city and suburban areas.

The Rotary Club of Skokie Valley’s Annual Coat Drive took place at 25 donation boxes throughout Skokie, Niles, Morton Grove and Lincolnwood. The collection boxes were placed in area libraries, park district buildings, schools, car dealerships, dry cleaners and community banks. The club asked people to donate new and lightly used winter coats for adults and children. The donation period started in early November and ran through the Thanksgiving holiday. Kenny the Kleneers, donated all the dry cleaning services and cleaned all the winter gear that was donated.

It’s the second year that Kenny the Kleneers as participated in the Rotary’s drive. This year, Kenny the Kleneers, owner Kenny Davis placed collection boxes in all his stores, which include locations in Wilmette, Skokie and Evanston. Davis says he cleaned about one thousand coats and jackets for charity and wants to “kleen even more next year,” Davis said. “Next year we’ll announce the coat drive collection boxes in our monthly advertising flyer and our customers will deliver for charity, he added”

Pastor Matt Conrad from St. Paul Lutheran Church and a member of the Rotary club provided the strategical support for the coat drive and often witnessed generous amounts of appreciation from the people that received the gift of warmth. Conrad and his team of volunteers from St. Paul Lutheran Church have numerous stories of how the Rotary’s annual coat drive helps people. One of volunteers says they helped a mom with kids outfit her family for winter and kept them from having to go on welfare, Conrad said.

People in need of winter coats are usually directed to their school, village, township or a social worker. The Rotary’s coat drive helps provide and stock the supply of winter jackets for all these organizations and more, including the Salvation Army.

The Rotary meets every Tuesday at 12:15 at McCormick & Schmick’s Restaurant at Old Orchard Shopping Center. The meetings are short and productive often including a guest speaker with topics pertaining to members’ primary business or their Rotary involvement. For information on joining Rotary, visit the Rotary website at http://www.skokierotary.org or on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SkokieValleyRotary

The Rotary Club of Skokie Valley helps charities like, THE ARC, A Just Harvest Soup Kitchen, Niles Township Food Pantry, American Cancer Society, USO of Illinois, Metropolitan Family Service, Chicago Honor Ride and Run, End Polio Now, Orchard Village, Golf Marine Park District, Summer Foundation, Building Together, DECA, Skokie NorthShore Hospital, VITA and more locally and internationally.

Rotary Clubs serve communities around the world on a broad range of service projects. Since 1985 Polio eradication has been a major objective of Rotary.