The afternoons are growing dark, a chill leavens even sunny days and a New England winter beckons. It’s time to get ready for the holidays, with Thanksgiving up next. The chill and the holiday remind us once again that it’s time for us to reach into our hearts and search the closets for old winter coats to donate to the 20th annual Rhode Island Buy Nothing Winter Coat Exchange.
A brainchild of community activist and environmentalist Greg Gerritt, the coat exchange will once again be held on Nov. 25th, the so-called Black Friday shopping day, the day after Thanksgiving. The main site will be the founding location, the South lawn of the Statehouse, in the shadow of both the Independent Man and the Providence Place Mall. The event begins at 9 a.m. and continues to 1 p.m. It is an event that reminds all of us that during the shopping frenzy that Thanksgiving kicks off, to many in our state have very little.
In case of rain, the coat exchange will move to 15 Hayes St. in Providence, about a football field from the Statehouse lawn.
Over the past few years, Gerritt has forced a partnership with the Greater Providence YMCA. “We are so proud to participate in this initiative once again,’’ said Steven O’Donnell, CEO of the YMCA. “The winter coat exchange and buy nothing day serve as great reminders of the needs of so many members of our community, and how simple it can be to help.’’
The coat exchange is simple. Those who have excess coats drop them off at designated spots across Rhode Island, with the main spot at the Statehouse. People who need coats pick them up. The event began as a protest against consumerism, said Gerritt.
“Through the years we have seen poverty and homelessness as bigger problems than ever as Wall Street thinking came to dominate the economy and more folks lost jobs to robots,’’ said Gerritt in a news release. “The need is still great and the spirit of Rhode Islanders is still giving.’’
Those who have coats to give or need coats do not have to travel to Providence. The YMCA and churches across Rhode Island have established other drop off points around the Ocean State.
For a list of collection and drop-off sites, click on http://prosperityforri.com/