Vancouver Firefighters Collecting Coats and Blankets.
For the seventh consecutive year, City of Vancouver Fire Department firefighters are collecting coats and blankets for needy people. The drop-off site is at the Westside Fire House, 400 E. 37th St. (adjacent to the Safeway store on Main). Drop-off times are daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Jan. 1.
According to Capt. Duane Schuman, the city firefighters are looking for clean, usable coats in all sizes. He says children’s coats are in greatest demand. During a typical day running emergency calls, firefighters meet people who need warm coats and can’t afford them, Schuman adds. “Anybody who can help us out by donating a coat or blanket can bring it by the station,” he urges.
Last year this firefighter-led community project collected over 3,000 coats for needy people. In 2004, the first year of this effort, they collected 700 coats. Leftover coats and blankets will be delivered to local shelters, schools and the YWCA in January.
