Durham, N.C. - Welcome Baby is hosting its 12th annual coat drive and has set the goal of collecting and distributing 1,200 coats to our youngest Durham County residents free of charge. Last year's event collected a record-setting number of more than 1,000 coats, that were distributed to Durham County youth. The Welcome Baby team asks community members to donate gently used and new children's coats in sizes newborn to 8 years. This year's event will run from Monday, November 18, 2024, until Friday, January 10, 2025.

"Since launching the coat drive in 2012 in response to a clear need, it has far exceeded our expectations "” not only in the number of coats collected and distributed but also in the number of organizations we've partnered with," said Welcome Baby Director Patience Mukelabai. "In our first year, we collected just over 200 coats and thought, "˜Wow!' Last year, we reached 1,000 coats, a testament to the generosity of our community and their ongoing support. This milestone also reflects the incredible growth of the Welcome Baby program since its inception."

Donated coats should be freshly washed and dried before dropping them off at one of the following collection locations:

Durham County Cooperative Extension (Welcome Baby office): 721 Foster St.

Durham County North Regional Library: 221 Milton Rd.

Durham County South Regional Library: 4505 S. Alston Ave.

Durham County Southwest Regional Library: 3605 Shannon Rd.

Durham County East Regional Library: 211 Lick Creek Ln.

Durham County Main Library: 300 N. Roxboro Rd.

The Little Gym, 112 NC-54, Suite 602

The Der Nachbar, 4916 Hillsborough Rd.

*Once Upon a Child, 4600 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., Suite 10

*Purchase a coat from them, leave it there, and receive a $5 shopping credit to use on your next visit

Collection times at DCo Library locations are determined by the hours each location operates, which can be found at DurhamCountyLibrary.org. Items can be dropped off at the Welcome Baby Program location Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Other locations accept donations during normal business hours only! Please check Welcome Baby's Facebook and Instagram accounts for other locations.

Welcome Baby, a program of the Durham County Cooperative Extension supported by funds from Durham County Government Duke Endowment and Durham's Partnership for Children, a Smart Start Initiative, works to provide clothing, diapers, car seats, cribs, and evidence based positive parenting classes. The program services almost 2,000 families a year in the Durham area with children under the age of five.

Coats are distributed to Welcome Baby families during our weekly Giving Closet where families receive children's clothing and diapers, and other baby equipment based on availability.

If community members or organizations would like to partner with Welcome Baby to host a mini coat drive, establish a drop-off location, or get information about Welcome Baby, contact Cindy Riley at 919-560-7319 or at ckriley@dconc.gov.

Learn more at www.welcomebaby.org.