In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Equality North Carolina, Charlotte Pride, QNotes, Transcend, Poor No More, The Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, Charlotte Black Pride, the Freedom Center for Social Justice and Stonewall Sports Charlotte are partnering for a winter coat drive.
With temperatures dropping, many individuals and families in our community are in need. You can help keep people warm this winter by donating new or clean and gently used coats and jackets QNotes and Charlotte Pride.
Drop off times for coats and jackets at the offices of Charlotte Pride, located at 1900 The Plaza, (also the location of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church) are limited here to January 20 and January 26, with both days beginning at 10 a.m. and continuing through 4 p.m.
Donation opportunities at QNotes, located at 920 Central Avenue (in the same building as White Rabbit Books) will be accessible daily beginning January 20, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., and continuing every day at that time through January 26, with the exception of Sunday, January 23. Store bours that day are noon to 6 p.m.
The community-wide effort is being spearheaded by Equality NC.
“We wanted to do something in honor of Dr. King for the many benefits we have today that are the result of his work,” explains Jamie Hildreth, the Charlotte Civic Engagement Coordinator for EqualityNC. “As a service project in his honor and in the spirit of his efforts, we felt this encapsulated that.”
Working directly with EqualityNC are Charlotte Pride and QNotes (as the donation drop sites), while other organizations like The Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, Charlotte Black Pride, The Freedom Center for Social Justice and Stonewall Sports Charlotte will alert their membership and others in the community about the project.
Coats and jackets collected will go to Transcend Expressions Space at Time Out Youth and Poor No More Pop-up Free Stores that take place once a month.
Jermaine Nakia Lee, founder and director of Poor No More emphasized the importance of the coat and jacket drive. “So far, we’ve been pretty lucky in Charlotte this season,” he offers. “But I expect there is some cold weather coming, and there are always people in our community in need. Providing people with the clothing they need not only keeps them warm, it helps with health and well being,”