KALISPELL — As the cost of living keeps climbing, more Northwest Montana families are being forced to make tough choices, and for some, that means choosing between groceries and winter clothes for their kids.
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On Saturday afternoon, Coats for Kids, a local nonprofit that provides winter clothing to families in Northwest Montana, held its second coat drive of the season at Gateway Mall in Kalispell. The drive serves families across multiple counties, and director Tiffany Suhr says the event gives families more than just clothing.
"We are giving out coats, boots, hats, gloves, and socks to children who need a little bit of help to stay warm for the wintertime. I would have to say, on average, we help between Flathead Lake, Lincoln, and Glacier County, we help well over 800 kids a year," Suhr said.
Suhr says the rising cost of living has made programs like this more critical than ever.
"The bills are high, gas, food, everything's going up in price, so having this program really helps the families put more money toward food and rent and bills," Suhr said.
Everything the organization gives away comes from businesses and community members, and Suhr says without those donations, the program simply couldn't exist.
"The Washington Foundation, they did the boots; that was $20,000. I just got a $7,000 grant from Weyerhaeuser, that will help to buy the coats," Suhr said.
One of the attendees was Kyle Erdman, who shopped for his four kids.
"Me and my wife both work, but still with four kids and bills and food costs going up, it honestly helps a lot," Erdman said.
And for attendees such as Erdman, the drive means the world.
"I know if it saves me and, like I said, me and my wife both work and I can only imagine there's other families worse off that if it means that much to me, it probably means a lot to them," Erdman said.
If you missed the drive and are in need, call or text 406-752-1522 to get help.
