KALISPELL — Coats for Kids in Kalispell works year-round to help children stay warm in Northwest Montana, and their hard work recently received a major financial boost.
"If you're in school and you need a coat, we're going to help you," Director Tiffany Suhr said.
Each year, right before winter, Coats for Kids gives coats, boots, and other gear to children in need. In the time between giveaways, Suhr has a lot of work to get done to prepare.
"In the off-season, I'm busy gathering funds to buy the books, the coats, the gloves, and the hats in bulk," Suhr said.
Coats for Kids is aiming to provide around 800 pairs of boots and 800 coats for their fall giveaway, an effort that costs tens of thousands of dollars. This financial need prompted Suhr to reach out to the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation out of Missoula.
"I applied at the end of 2024 through the George and Phyllis Washington Foundation. I requested $30,000 over the next three years, and they came back and said yes," Suhr said.
However, there was a condition before the organization could receive the grant: they had to find another sponsor to match the donation.
That's when Brody Broker, owner of Ideal Real Estate in Kalispell, got a call from Suhr and knew that he wanted to help out. Ideal Real Estate stepped up to give Coats for Kids the $10,000 match.
"We love kids and we love families and we love having a positive impact on the lives of kids and families in the area where we live," Broker said.
With the help of the foundation and the local real estate agency, Broker knows the contribution will make a direct difference in children's lives.
"It does make a difference when you help someone find the right home or the right location for their business, but the difference it makes to a child just to be warm in the winter, it's so basic and so fundamental that it feels like you have a more immediate and powerful impact," Broker said.
Coats for Kids officially has enough funding to buy the boots, making Suhr's job a little bit easier.
"Now I don't have to fret about 'oh my gosh how am I going to get boots this year?'" Suhr said.
The organization is always accepting donations to fulfill their remaining financial needs before giveaway season arrives. You can donate here.
