By LYNN YANG
Tiger Media Network
The Ellis County community concluded its annual Coat Drive last Saturday. The Coat Drive has become an integral part of the community and has been going on for 27 years. The event is organized in collaboration with two local dry cleaners: Master Cleaners, which provides dry cleaning, alterations and tuxedo rentals, and Top Notch Cleaners, which engages in the washing and dry cleaning of textile and fur products.
Amy Mermis, owner of Top Notch Cleaners, says the campaign started with her father. She recalls how her father started the coat drive: as a child, he was teased by his classmates for wearing his old uniform to school because of his family’s poverty, and it made him want to help those in need. Inspired by his sister’s Thanksgiving dinner initiative, her father started the Coat Drive, which has no income threshold and allows anyone to receive winter coats. The drive aims to bring warmth to the community, especially to help families and children who can’t afford new clothes to cope with the winter.
“My dad decided with the coat drive to do it with no income guidelines, no government involved, no nothing, ” Mermis said. “Nobody had to answer any questions or even talk to anybody. If they wanted or needed a coat, they could simply walk up and grab a coat and leave. Didn’t have to explain anything.“
Master Cleaners Owner Ryan Gottschalk said after about 20 years of Top Notch doing the drive, they decided to join in and help.
Top-Notch Cleaners and Master Clearners are across the street from each other on 8th Street in Hays.
Many of the donated clothes come from people in the community and are always available to anyone who would like to donate clothes to the two stores. The dry cleaners collect these donations and sort them, and each piece of clothing is carefully cleaned and sorted before it is donated to ensure that the recipient receives clean and comfortable clothing.
“Most of our clothes come from donations from individuals and families in the community. We collect these clothes and share them with people in need, contributing our own strength to the community,” Mermis said.
“We clean them and get them all ready and put them out,” Gottschalk added.
The clothes donated this year included coats, overcoats, pants, sweaters, and cotton-padded jackets. This activity is not only to help residents with financial difficulties but also to convey community solidarity and care. It provides free clothes to local residents in need to help them get through the cold winter.
Mermis tells the story of one of last year’s recipients, a donor-turned-receiver story.
“There was a lady who had adopted many children and always insisted on donating coats to the coat drive. At this time last year, it was cold, her husband was laid off and she was out of work and needed a new coat because her clothes no longer fit,” Mermis said. “After the coat drive was over, she contacted me to tell me her story and she was so thankful that we held the coat drive because her husband didn’t have to worry about a coat for that year.”
One memorable coat drive brought joy to a little girl on her sixth birthday. With her mother, she discovered a bright pink Barbie coat, matching boots, and a hat and scarf, all donated. Mermis smiles as she remembers how happy a six-year-old girl looks when she receives a complimentary coat.
“She was out in the front where the coats are and she was dancing around and flinging the scarf around and just happy and joyous as could be because it was her birthday and she got a Barbie coat and she got pink boots and she had a scarf,” Mermis said.
Master Clearners employee Katelyn Hines said that everyone who received the donated clothes expressed their thanks for hosting the event.
One anonymous international student said he was grateful to be able to get a quilted jacket from the event to cope with the winter.
“I didn’t have any clothes to deal with the winter in Hays,” he said. “Winter in Hays is particularly cold. This activity helped me cut down on some of my clothing expenses. I am grateful for this activity.”
Although there will still be some clothes left after the event, the unclaimed clothes will not be wasted. They will continue to give these clothes to people in need.
“Some people who missed this event will come to my store to ask if there are any remaining winter clothes. I will give them the remaining clothes and let them choose,” Mermis said.
“We will send these clothes to the church and the Indian Reservation. So that more people in need can benefit,” Gottschalk said.
Although the two dry cleaners operate separately, the original intention of organizing this event in the past was the same, and it all stemmed from a desire to help others.
“Every year, I see people wearing these clothes and smiling, and I think it’s all worth it.” Mermis said. “I think Hays as a place is the best. I love Hays so much, it has schools, supermarkets, hospitals, everything we need. I don’t want to leave this place, I want to do something for this place in my own way.”
Mermis is glad they could incorporate the business in helping people and prompted her to commit to giving back to the community through the coat drive to help local friends in need.
“I just kind of feel like it’s put me in a position with being able to clean and dry clean and water wash and repair the coats to get it back out to the community to kind of help give back a little bit for them helping us to build our family business,” she said. “So just giving back.”
Gottschalk feels the same.
“I just think make sure everybody has a coat because it gets cold in the winter, so make sure everybody has a coat and stays warm. Just do what you can to help the community, help the people,” he said. “I don’t know that it’s going to get much bigger. We’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing every year. ”
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