Thanks to a Community Foundation for Mason County spring grant, Ludington Coats and Boots was able to purchase winter gear ahead of frigid months during well-known discount days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Program volunteers were grateful for the opportunity to replenish stock while stretching dollars.

Ludington Coats and Boots for Kids supplied just over 450 items during the 2022-2023 school year. With the support of the spring grant and community donations, the program has already assisted 197 Mason County families this school year with 1,400 items (coats, boots, snow pants, hats, and mittens/gloves).

The group works closely with school counselors and the Mason County Family Link. School personnel contact Coats and Boots with requests, and they deliver items to the children who need them.

Volunteers often hear stories of gratitude like this one shared by a Mason County Family Link employee: “I just left a house where the little girl told her mom, ‘I love my coat and boots so much I’m not going to take them off, I’m going to sleep in them!'”

Coats and Boots volunteer Valerie Berrett said requests have not declined since the program’s inception. The program recently acquired a 501(c)3 and relies on grants and generous donations from the community.

Ludington Coats and Boots could only exist with help from the community, said Berrett. “We are grateful for the funds from the Foundation and look forward to working together for the foreseeable future.”