Operation Holiday needs children’s coats

Children’s coats are needed. Lots of them.

HumanKind Ministries’ annual Operation Holiday is in its final push before handing out food and clothing to the 10,000-plus people living in low-income households. For the past 60 years, the nonprofit has provided the “largest holiday assistance program” for Sedgwick County and often a critical need arises in the final days as donations flood in during the holidays. This holiday season, it’s children’s coats, new or gently used, ahead of the December 16 to 18 distribution.

“The biggest need we have right now is children’s coats, especially size 2T to 5T,” said Kate Webb, director of marketing and communications. “We just never seem to have enough children’s coats to give out, which is heartbreaking.”

Webb said they try to give a children’s coat to each household that signed up in November. Right now, she said, they have about half a child’s coat for each of the roughly 3,180 households signed up.

There’s also a need, Webb said, for new or gently used blankets and non-perishable foods — mainly canned fruit.

Last year’s dire need was food items. Last-minute pleas were met with community support. The staff is hoping for the same thing this year.

Webb said this late in the process that donation items need to be delivered straight to the distribution warehouse, 4600 W. Kellogg. Items can be taken to the warehouse during opening hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

They also will take donations during distribution days: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

Monetary donations can be dropped off or contributed online as well.

In addition to distributing food and clothing, HumanKind Ministries also plans to give more than $100,000 in grocery store gift cards.

There is also a need for volunteers during distribution, Webb said. Sign up for that can be done by calling Community Outreach Coordinator Greer Horning at 316-264-9303 or emailing her at greer@humankindwichita.org.

Any leftover items will be distributed to people who didn’t sign up starting 3 p.m. Wednesday at the warehouse.

“These are kids that go to school with your kids, maybe coworkers of yours, or friends from church that you’re helping,” HumanKind Ministries President/CEO LaTasha St. Arnault said in a news release. “It’s an undertaking to facilitate a program that serves so many struggling families in such a short timeframe, but Wichita has risen to the occasion the last 60 years, and we hope this year will be no different. We honestly couldn’t do this without the whole community helping and for that we are grateful.”

This story was originally published December 11, 2019 at 3:40 PM.