Rotary donates to The Salvation Army Coat Drive

Provided.

From left: Club President Jennifer Palakiko, Club Service Chair Rhonda Brady, and Kyle Yates.

President Jennifer Palakiko and Club Service Chair Rhonda Brady from the Rotary Club of Tehachapi helped kick off The Salvation Army's Winter Coat Drive by delivering 37 new jackets that will go to children in the community.

Every year, The Salvation Army holds their annual coat drive so they can help provide jackets to people in the Tehachapi area. Kyle Yates, Center Coordinator for The Salvation Army Tehachapi Community Center, thanked the Rotary Club for their donation, saying, "We usually give away about 200 jackets to kids during the coat drive, and another 100 coats go to adults who need them. This gets us off to a great start!"

The Rotary Club of Tehachapi sets aside $500 in their budget every year to purchase new jackets to contribute to the coat drive. Rotarians also buy additional jackets and coats on their own to contribute to the coat drive, to help all the children of Tehachapi stay warm in the upcoming winter.

The Salvation Army's Winter Coat Drive is going on now, and they accept donations of both new and gently used winter coats and sweaters. Donations can be dropped off at The Salvation Army office, located at 538 E. Tehachapi Blvd. The jackets and coats will be distributed on Saturday, Nov. 2, between the hours of 9 to 11 a.m.

The Tehachapi Rotary Club meets at noon every Thursday at Kelcy's. Rotary is committed to "Service Above Self," and devotes time and resources to projects in the local community, scholarships for college-bound high school seniors and supporting global efforts for polio eradication. For more information about the Rotary Club, you can visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubofTehachapi/.