The Ark sets coat, hat giveaway for next Monday

WINTERSVILLE -- Concerns about the economy and the approach of winter have led some area parents to wonder about how they will be able to obtain a warm winter coat or shoes for their children.

One place residents of the Wintersville area can turn to is the Ark.

Operated by the Sycamore Youth Center, the Ark, located at 148 Stephens St. (the former location of Brentwood Methodist Church), last week began offering after-school programming to students from Cross Creek Elementary School.

On Monday, it will be distributing 512 coats and 256 pairs of shoes at no charge. The distribution will happen between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Demand for the items is expected to great, explained Bobbyjon Bauman, executive director of the Sycamore center..

“Last year when we had this coat drive, we gave away 512 coats in very short order,” he said. “There’s definitely a need, and there are a number of other wonderful agencies out there that doing this throughout the community, so it’s a big need.

“We know it at the Sycamore center, where a lot of kids will come in and they don’t have a coat, and they will be cold,” he added. “A lot of children we work with, we know firsthand that they are in need of coats and shoes. We have children who come in, and the bottoms of their shoes are ripped out, and their families just don’t have the finances to get any shoes -- we are able to provide them.”

Located just a couple of blocks away from Cross Creek Elementary School, the Ark was chosen to allow the families of some children who might miss out on other coat and shoe programs to participate.

“We’re specifically focusing on kids from the Wintersville area this year because a lot of them haven’t had an opportunity to get coats. In Steubenville, there are the Salvation Army and the Urban Mission, but there are a lot of kids who sometimes get left out, especially from the outer portions of the area, including Wintersville and Cadiz and other places. so, if you can get here, we’ll get you a coat free of charge,” Bauman said.

Each child will be eligible to receive one coat and one pair of shoes, while supplies last, Bauman said. Scarves, hats and gloves also will be available at no charge.

The coats and shoes were obtained through a grant from Operation Warm Ohio, which is a collaboration between Operation Warm and the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

Organizers ask that children accompany their parents to the Ark on Monday so they can be properly fitted. TANF forms will be available, Bauman said, adding they will not turn anyone away who needs a coat.

“We’re going to be giving back to the children in the community,” Bauman said.