Mother’s Trust Teens drive rounds up 1,350 winter coats
By Judy Masterson jmasterson@stmedianetwork.com November 10, 2011 11:42AM
Juliana Lopez, 9, holds onto her coat along with coats for her family during the Mother’s Trust Teens coat giveaway at North Chicago High School. | JOE SHUMAN~FOR SUN-TIMES MEDIA
Article Extras
Updated: December 18, 2011 8:19AM
Winter coats cost money, which is why Mother’s Trust Teens of Lake Forest collect car loads of them each fall.
The group held its fourth annual coat giveaway recently at North Chicago High School. The event outfitted more than 500 people with outerwear that also included gloves, boots, snowpants and sweatshirts. More than half of those who received warm clothing were children.
Piper Ventling, 17, a senior at Lake Forest High School and the group’s co-founder, said about a dozen teens worked to collect 1,350 gently used and new items, and to publicize and run the giveaway.
The teens set-up collection boxes at schools, businesses, churches and agencies throughout Lake Bluff and Lake Forest. One teen parent took a collection box to his company in Chicago. About $400 in cash donations went to purchase coats at resale and discount stores.
Members of the North Chicago High School basketball team hauled in clothing and helped shoppers find the right sizes.
‘Really proud’
“I’m really proud of our results,” said Ventling, who noted that the coat drive collected nearly 500 more items than last year.
The teen group works in support of the Lake Forest-based Mother’s Trust Foundation, which provides emergency funding to Lake County children in crisis. Each spring, Mother’s Trust Teens also organizes an infant and maternity wear drive and giveaway.
Mother’s Trust Executive Director Cheri Richardson said the foundation’s teen arm helps to “share the story of Mother’s Trust,” including how the group works to help children in need.
“Collecting the coats, helping people find the right coat, something their size, something they need — the whole process, I think, shows teens a different way to live in the world and how wonderful it is to volunteer and do for other people,” Richardson said.
Ventling, who plans to major in fashion merchandising in college, said her work with Mother’s Trust Teens has taught her not to take “having” a nice coat for granted.
“Many people don’t have what we have,” Ventling said. “It’s good to see what they experience, how they feel, and figure out what we can do to help make a difference.”
Comments Click here to view or make a comment