PIQUA — The fourth annual Coats for Kids coat drive begins Wednesday, Nov. 1, accepting donations of gently used coats, hats and gloves at several locations throughout Piqua.

Items for donation can be dropped-off at the Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce, 326 N. Main St., Mark Reedy-Thrivent Financial, 429 N. Main St., or McColloch-Baker Insurance Service, 219 Looney Road.

“Everything is greatly appreciated,” Coats for Kids Founder Ben Gover said. “This wouldn’t be possible without all of the generous people in the community.”

Donated coats are cleaned, then distributed to those in need through local schools.

“Sunset Cleaners in Piqua dry-cleans everything for me,” Gover said. “I deliver them to the transportation department of the school system.”

“Since the bus drivers see the kids every day, they can kind of identify who needs a coat and we can get the coats, hats and gloves to the kids who need them,” he said.

The coat drive also accepts monetary donations through the Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce. Checks can be made out to the Piqua Chamber Foundation, Gover said.

“Those can be dropped-off at the Chamber building in Piqua,” he said.

Gover started the Coats for Kids coat drive in 2019, with assistance from the Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce.

“On my way to work I would pass quite a few bus stops in Piqua, and noticed a lot of the kids around didn’t have a winter coat, hat and gloves,” he said. “I just got to thinking, I feel like every kid deserves to get a coat, or a hat and gloves if need be.”

“I reached out to Kathy Sherman at the Chamber,” he said. “We brainstormed for a little bit and started a coat drive, with a drop-off location at the Chamber of Commerce.”

A Piqua native, Gover also works for the city of Piqua.

“I grew up in Piqua,” he said. “I graduated from Piqua High School in 2008 and I have worked for the city since 2011.”

“This wouldn’t be possible without everybody’s overwhelming support these past three years,” he said. “The tentative start date is Wednesday, Nov. 1, and then we’ll run it through Tuesday, Jan. 2; then if we identify that there’s a need, we can always extend that donation date further.”