Lombardian - November 16, 2009

With cold weather on the horizon, state Sen. Dan Cronin is turning to area residents and asking them to think about the less fortunate when cleaning out their closets.

The senator launched his annual coat drive last week, and related that his office already has a number of requests for coats.

“Many people are struggling along with the economy,” Cronin said. “This year, my office is already receiving requests for coats from local agencies that help those in need, so we are really trying to get the word out about our drive and have added several new drop-off locations.”
In addition to collecting gently used coats, jackets, scarves and mittens at his office at 313 S. Main St., items for the coat drive may be dropped off at the Lombard Village Hall, 255 E. Wilson and the Villa Park Village Hall, 20 S. Ardmore Ave., as well as numerous other locations throughout the area.

While coats have been collected at the Lombard Village Hall for a number of years, the Villa Park Village Hall is a new collection site this year.

According to Barb Finn, Cronin’s administrative assistant, Villa Park Village President Tom Cullerton called Cronin’s office earlier this week offering to add the Villa Park Village Hall as another drop-off location.

“We’re happy they’re doing that for us,” Finn said, adding that over the years, the coat drive has “expanded little by little.”
This year marks the 12th year Cronin has held a coat drive and he sees the coat drive as a way to play a role in giving back during the holiday season.

Looking back on the beginning of the coat drive, Cronin said, “It was an opportunity for our whole office to really take responsibility for delivering a public service.”

The coat drive is “literally a hands-on”  event, which has collected and distributed over 26,000 coats since it began in 1998.

“Every year it gets a little bigger in terms of our reaching more people,” Cronin said. “Hundreds and hundreds of coats come to my Main Street office.”

In fact, Cronin chuckled when he recalled how he “donated” his own coat one year when it was accidentally “collected” with dozens of other coats from his office.

According to Finn, Cronin’s office has already received telephone calls from social workers in District 44 and 45 schools. “They have coats earmarked for families,” Finn explained.

In addition to the schools, coats are distributed to a number of organizations which help the needy such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society, York and Addison townships public assistance, the Ray Graham Association, People’s Resource Center and veterans’ organizations.

“I never fail to be amazed by the generosity of the public,” Cronin said. “Over the years, we’ve seen groups and individuals hold their own coat drives to contribute to the collection and to make it a success, such as scout troops, churches and civic organizations. And not to be forgotten, are the firefighters and village employees who generously provide the drop-off locations where boxes overflow with donated coats.”

“It’s uplifting for us,” Cronin said, adding that over the years, he has taken his four children with him as he delivered some of the coats to Parliament Square in Villa Park and the People’s Resource Center in Wheaton.

For more information, call 630-792-0040.