CD One Price Cleaners collecting coats for needy families

ST. CHARLES – Those who bring their coat into CD One Price Cleaners to get cleaned in the next few weeks will be able to help a needy family as well.

CD One Price Cleaners is launching its ninth annual coat drive in support of the Angel Harvey Family Health Center of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago. CD One locations throughout the area, including the location at 2110 Prairie St. in St Charles, will accept gently used children, teen and adult winter coats for donation from Oct. 28 through Nov. 10.

Last year, CD One stores cleaned nearly 2,000 gently used coats for delivery to children and teens. Michael Jackson, field consultant for CD One Price Cleaners who oversees 19 stores, hopes the chain can beat that number this year.

"We would like to reach the 2,800 to 3,000 marker," Jackson said. "It's a good cause and CD One Price Cleaners has always committed itself to the local communities that we serve in. We feel that with the support of our franchisees willing to clean these coats for free and bag them and present them nicely, that it's just a great cause and we always want to do what we can to give back to the communities."

Some of the stores have 24-hour express drop-off windows.

"They can just put it into that window and we can take it from there," Jackson said. "We want to take gently used children, teen and adult coats. Once we get them, we clean them and bag them and then get them delivered to the Angel Harvey Family Health Center of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago."

In the past, customers have brought in donated coats along with the coats they were going to have cleaned.

"We even have customers that will go out and buy new coats and bring them in," he said. "I see that quite often, so that's pretty neat too."

He has helped hand out coats to those who need them.

“It’s very fulfilling,” Jackson said. “It’s wonderful to see these needy families and kids just light up when they’re going to get a new coat. It’s very heartwarming and very fulfilling to do.”