Local man’s ‘Coats for the Homeless’ drive is accepting donations

JACKSON, Tenn. — As the temperatures drop, it can get dangerously cold outside without anything to keep you warm. One local man decided to do what he can to help those who may not have a warm place to stay at night.

“I stumbled upon it last year by accident by seeing somebody downtown homeless and didn’t have a coat on,” Jimmy Sadler said.

This is the second year Sadler is hosting his Coats for the Homeless drive.

“So I reached out on social media if anybody had old coats and hats and gloves or whoever would donate, you know, I’d pass it on,” Sadler said.

You can drop off hats, gloves, scarves and coats from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at United Way at the corner of Campbell Street and North Highland Avenue in Jackson.

The drive will last until lunch time the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. For more information, visit their Facebook Page.

“There is so many people in Jackson that need help, and we just kind of put them on the back of the burner,” Sadler said. “You don’t really think about them, so if I can just stir up a little interest in the community.”

While most coat drives donate what they receive to a local organization, Sadler does something a little unique with his.

“It’s not in some building and people have to come get it — he goes to the community,” Pat Ross with United Way said.

“It doesn’t really hit home until you witness it,” Sadler said. “And this weekend, you know, temps in the 30s, highs in the 50s, people that don’t have coats — I worry about them.”