PHOTOS: Iowa City Students Collect Hundreds of Coats in Coat Drive

Paula Rocca, a third and fourth grade teacher at , wanted us to share the good news about a coat drive she has been running in her class.

Just in time for the holidays, it will benefit needy recipients in the the Johnson County area.

The students participated in the coat drive as part of Coats of Kindness, a Minnesota based charity. There is one day left in the coat drive, which has already collected more than 200 coats.

Rocca writes:

For the past two weeks, students at Longfellow have been collecting coats, snow pants, hats, mittens, and scarves. They have done their own advertising campaign via flyers, posters, banners, video ads on the school website, and on the Longfellow facebook page. They have walked neighborhoods and asked friends and family members to donate an item they may have out grown or had an extra one of. As a special touch, students havenbwritten a personalized letter to be placed in the pocket of each donated item hoping to warm the new owner both emotionally and physically this winter season. As of today, they have written 268 letters and the drive doesn’t end until Friday.

Donating is simple; just bring your coats to Longfellow Elementary 1130 Seymour Ave, Iowa City, Iowa. Drop boxes will be emptied and items will be delivered to various family resource centers in the ICCSD, Shelter House, Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County, and other local agencies serving children and their families.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette also wrote a feature about the effort.