LAURINBURG — As the thermometer continues its downward trend, ushering in another winter season, The Laurinburg Exchange is heating up its annual effort to put warm coats on Scotland County children and families in need.
And it’s not only coats the newspaper staff will be collecting.
“We’ve held a coat drive before and it was very successful,” said Althea Simpson, general manager of The Exchange. “We also were given other items like gloves and scarves and toboggans that were a big help to many — and we hope to be able to do that again this year.
“We filled a large box several times with items contributed by the community,” she added.
The newspaper staff is hoping to do the very same again this year. A box can be found in the newspaper office lobby to hold any new or gently used coats, gloves, toboggans, scarves and any other winter-weather clothing the community can contribute.
The Laurinburg Exchange isn’t only collecting the items through the holiday season. This year, the collection will continue throughout the winter season — most likely well into February.
“We know people will be taking the time to clear out their closets, garages and attics as they prepare for warmer months ahead, and there will be things that would benefit others in need,” Simpson said. “We hope they will consider donating those items to this drive.”
Along the way, the newspaper staff will make regular donations of the collected items to the Church Community Services in Laurinburg for distribution back into the community.
Anyone wanting to contribute can easily do so by bringing the items to The Laurinburg Exchange office, located at 915 S. Main St. in Laurinburg during regular business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Anyone who may have a large load of items and needs them to be picked up, call the newspaper office at 910-506-3021 to make arrangements.