Fulton Rotary's Coats for Callaway Kids project helped 400 local children get new winter coats this year.
The project was made possible by the generosity of Rotary members and a grant from Veterans United Foundation.
The coats will be handed out at SERVE's Adopt-a-Family distribution day.
Fulton Rotary Club began partnering with area businesses in 2012 to collect coats for SERVE each winter.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of placing barrels at supporting businesses around town to collect coats, the Rotary Club submitted a grant request to Veterans United Foundation so Rotarians could buy coats to fulfill the need, according to a release.
This year the request for coats were higher and due to inflation, the cost of coats were higher, too.
In addition to a $7,480 VU grant, individual Rotary members donated more than $2,000 and about 60 hours of volunteer service, according to a release.
Members of Fulton Rotary searched for and purchased the coats online.
When the coats arrived, Rotarians sorted and labeled the coats by gender and size. Members will also help organize the set up for SERVE to be ready for the Adopt-a-Family distribution on Dec. 15.
"With inflation being at an all-time high, along with the higher cost of clothing, spending extra funds for a new coat is something that many families are not able to do," said Amanda Gowin, who chaired the Rotary project, in a release. "About 400 kids in Callaway County will be warmer this year thanks to the generosity of Veterans United and Fulton Rotary."
According to Gowin, purchasing and organizing 400 coats was no easy feat.
"It took a lot of savvy shopping for deals, and a team to sort, label, and load up the coats," Gowin said in a release. "The process helped me get into the Christmas spirit, finding nice coats for kids and working with a fun team that took time out of their busy schedules to volunteer."