St. Vincent de Paul | Louisville

Makenzie's Coat Closet Collects Coats Year-Round

By Lexy Scheen, WLKY

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- One little girl's determination will keep thousands of people warm this winter. (WATCH video.)

For the sixth year in a row, those in need can get cold weather gear from Makenzie’s Coat Closet.Makenzie Smith, of Borden, Ind., is only in the seventh grade, but she’s been collecting coats for those in need since she was 7 years old.

“Well, I'm here to get a nice coat for winter so it'll keep me warm,” said Jeanetta Anthony, who picked out a coat from the Mount Olive Baptist Church location Tuesday.

“My second grade teacher is the one who inspired me. She was talking about the less fortunate and how they don't have a roof over their head or coats on their back and so I went home that day to tell my mom and dad that I wanted to start a coat collection to keep the homeless warm,” Makenzie said. That first year Makenzie's Coat Closet started with 79 coats donated by family and friends.Since then, Makenzie has teamed up with St. Vincent de Paul to help with distribution. This year, her organization collected 2,900 coats, plus scarves and gloves for anyone, any age who is in need.

“It makes me feel glad that people are out here actually doing stuff for people that are less fortunate,” said Mandi Arnold, who picked out a coat.

“You can see by the lines snaking out the front door that the need is great. It's not just homeless people, although we do have homeless people who have shown up today to get coats. It's the working poor. It's people who've lost jobs. Families that are struggling to make ends meet and they need resources like this,” Linda Romine with St. Vincent de Paul.

The organization collects coats all year long and also gives to local homeless shelters, organizations and schools, including Jefferson County Public Schools.“It makes me really emotional. It makes me happy that they're finally going to have a coat on their back and gloves on their hands, but it also makes me sad thinking about how many people out there don't have what we have,” Makenzie said.

For more information on where you can donate to Makenzie’s Coat Closet or how you can receive a coat from the organization, visit MakenziesCoatCloset.com

Read more: http://www.wlky.com/news/29935727/detail.html#ixzz1fsacUpe7