Paul Darby and his wife Cheryl have learned by action how to clothe children for the winter. The Darby's are "Coats for Kids." Living in Alexandria, they recognized the need and began a grassroots project. Paul Darby reached out to manufacturers across the country and initially used their home for collecting, storing and distributing.
The Coats for Kids (CFK) Foundation was established in January 2004 as a public, charitable foundation by the Darbys. It received IRS recognition as a 501(c)(3) in March 2004. The Coats for Kids Foundation mission is "to ensure that every child who needs a winter coat receives a new one."
CFK only distributes new winter coats, including a pair of new gloves and a new winter hat. It accepts requests for coats and delivers them all winter-long through the end of March.
This year Paul Darby says that everything has gone virtual. A warehouse in Pennsylvania receives the donations. They are sorted, sized and when requests are made, the orders are shipped. A fire truck bay at the Richmond Highway Penn Daw Station was lined with tables filled with coats for area children.
The Progressive Firefighters of Fairfax County, the City of Alexandria and Washington D.C. volunteered to help prepare the orders from the local schools and social service agencies and non-profits that had clients in need. The program was organized at Penn Daw by Captain Will Bailey.