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Sutton collecting warm winter wear for Vernon residents in need

Sutton aims to spread warmth throughout the community with annual winter clothing drive
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It’s getting cold out there.

And as the winter weather settles in, Kelly Fehr, co-executive director of the John Howard Society of the North Okanagan/Kootenay Region says Vernon organizations that provide services to the city’s most vulnerable population are in dire need of donations.

“People that come to shelters are on income assistance, or disability, or they’re making minimum wage. They’re living on a limited income, or they have no income at all, so things like long-johns, winter toques, or even winter boots, become luxury items they cannot afford,” Fehr explained.

That’s where Sutton Lakefront Realty comes in. Each year the office hosts a warm winter clothing drive in hopes of gathering these “luxury items” for men, women and children in need, enlisting their colleagues to help deliver the items to Fehr and a group of volunteers for sorting and distribution among local non-profit organizations.

These agencies include, the Women’s Transition House, Howard House, Bill’s Place and Gateway Shelter, among others.

Fehr also occasionally gets calls from the hospital, seeking a few items for a patient in need of warm clothing.

“I’ve gotten calls from the hospital, where they are treating someone who has suffered sexual assault, and needs something, ” he said. “There are all kinds of reasons people ask us for things. And we’re happy to help.

‘The thing is, these items shouldn’t have to be considered a luxury for anyone,” Marks explained.

“Winter coats, boots, warm socks — these are not things that are luxuries, they’re necessities.”

Marks says they ask for “warm outer clothing,” for men, women and children, blankets, towels, sleeping bags and warm wool socks.

“Think warm,” she said. “We don’t need T-shirts.”

For those who want to help, but don’t have clothes to donate, Marks say people can also donate cash, which will be given to the John Howard Society and other recipient organizations as they see fit.

To accommodate people’s busy schedules, a drive-thru, which allows those who wish to donate the option of bringing items to the Sutton office on 30th Street between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m on Wednesday, without even having to get out of their car.

“When we decided to do this, we quickly realized that not everyone knows where some of these places that we are collecting for are — and in some cases, if they do know, they don’t feel comfortable going there. And we though, ‘hey, we are centrally located, so why not make it as easy as possible for people to help,” Sutton owner/broker, Tamara Cinnamon said of the decision to execute the drive-thru option.

“It helps people help the community, which is what this is all about.”

In the meantime, items can be dropped off at the Sutton office, located at 2749 #30th Street in Vernon, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays


@VernonNews
erin.christie@vernonmorningstar.com

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