PRESS: Greater Philadelphia YMCA Branches Rally to Keep Kids Warm This Winter

PHILADELPHIA, PA – November 3, 2026 – Three Greater Philadelphia YMCA branches are helping local children and families stay warm this winter through a series of coat drives and a free coat giveaway. The Ambler YMCA and the Phoenixville YMCA are collecting new and gently used coats and cold-weather items from the community, and the Columbia North YMCA will give away free children’s coats on Wednesday, November 11.

The Ambler YMCA’s Coats for Kids Collection Drive is underway now and runs through Wednesday, November 18. Community members can drop off new or gently used children’s coats, hats and gloves in the branch lobby. All donations will go to St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and Sacred Heart Church, which will distribute the coats to children in their communities.

The Phoenixville YMCA is partnering with Orion Communities on a coat drive for local families in need. From November 1 through November 14, donors can leave items in collection bins in the branch lobby. On Saturday, November 14, the branch will host a Drive Up and Drop Off event in its parking lot from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The drive is accepting new or gently used coats, hats, gloves, scarves and blankets, as well as new socks.

In North Philadelphia, the Columbia North YMCA will hold a free coat giveaway on Wednesday, November 11, from 4 to 7 p.m., with coats donated by the Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation. Sizes are very limited and range from 2T to 14/16. Coats will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis, and the child receiving a coat must be present.

“A warm coat is one of the simplest things we can give a child, and it matters every single day of the winter,” said Ashley Bracey, Executive Director of the Columbia North branch for the Greater Philadelphia YMCA. “We’re grateful to our partners and to every neighbor who donates. This is what it looks like when a community takes care of its own.”

EVENT DETAILS

AMBLER YMCA: COATS FOR KIDS COLLECTION DRIVE

• WHAT: Collection of new and gently used children’s coats, hats & gloves
• WHEN: Now through Wednesday, November 18, 2026
• WHERE: Ambler YMCA lobby (1325 McKean Road, Ambler, PA 19002)
• WHO: Donations benefit children served by St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and Sacred Heart Church

PHOENIXVILLE YMCA: COAT DRIVE WITH ORION COMMUNITIES

• WHAT: Collection of new or gently used coats, hats, gloves, scarves and blankets, plus new socks
• WHEN:
  • Lobby collection bins: Sunday, November 1, through Saturday, November 14, 2026
  • Drive Up and Drop Off event (parking lot): Saturday, November 14, 2026, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• WHERE: Phoenixville YMCA (400 E. Pothouse Road, Phoenixville, PA 19460)
• WHO: Donations benefit local families in need through Orion Communities

COLUMBIA NORTH YMCA: FREE COAT GIVEAWAY

• WHAT: Free children’s coat giveaway, donated by the Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation
• WHEN: Wednesday, November 11, 2026, 4 to 7 p.m.
• WHERE: Columbia North YMCA (1400 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19121)
• PLEASE NOTE:
  • Sizes are very limited and range from 2T to 14/16
  • First come, first served
  • The child receiving a coat must be present

THE BIG PICTURE

• Financial strain reaches well beyond the city. In 2023, 40% of Pennsylvania households, including about 32% of households with children, earned too little to cover basic costs such as housing, child care, food and transportation, according to United For ALICE. In Chester County, 29% of households fell below that threshold. In Montgomery County, the share is also 29%, or 97,222 households, according to the Montgomery County Planning Commission. United For ALICE, State of ALICE in Pennsylvania (2025) | Montgomery County Planning Commission
• Without a warm coat, some kids miss school. In a 2025 national survey commissioned by the nonprofit Operation Warm, 36% of parents with household incomes under $65,000 said they had kept their child home from school on cold days because they could not afford a good-quality warm coat. Operation Warm / Atomik Research
• Clothing is a heavy lift for families on tight budgets. Among the lowest-income families with children, apparel was the largest share of spending on apparel, child care and education combined, at 61%, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis of 2012 to 2016 data. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics