Charlotte Mechanical Hosts 704 Coat Drive to Benefit Salvation Army

CHARLOTTE, N.C., (Oct. 1, 2021) – Charlotte Mechanical has begun its eleventh annual 704 Coat Drive (formerly called the Charlotte Coat Drive), a campaign to collect coats for The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte. Through Nov. 12, Charlotteans may drop off new or very gently used coats at one of 65+ donation barrels spread across the city or gift a monetary donation online. The campaign concludes with Zip-Up Day, a fun-filled donation event, on Nov. 12 at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille. The goal is to gather 6,000 coats, which are distributed through The Salvation Army’s various adult and youth programs.

“We continue to serve more than 1,000 people every day/night in Charlotte. We know that, even as the local economy rebounds, many in our community will be left behind,” commented Brent Rinehart, Director of Communications, The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte. “A coat may seem like a small thing, but when you are facing catastrophe, it’s one less thing you have to worry about. When temperatures are low, the individuals and families we serve can be assured they have a warm coat while waiting at the bus stop for school or work. They can use the funds they would’ve spent on clothing to go toward their savings as they work to get housing. A simple donation of a coat makes a huge impact.”

The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte primarily serves women and children, so their greatest need is kids’ coats – all sizes – and women’s coats but they are certainly happy to accept men’s coats as well. Their preference is new coats or very gently used coats. “Gently used” means a coat still has a lot of life and warmth left; is washed and / or dry cleaned; has little to no signs of wear and has zero rips, holes or stains.

“We are always in awe of the tremendous community support that we receive each year for this initiative,” said Steve and Nancy McLaughlin and Dan Dyszelski, owners of Charlotte Mechanical. “This year we have a record number of barrel partners – local organizations and businesses that place collection barrels at their location and serve as ambassadors of the drive. It’s a testament to the number of amazing, community-focused businesses in Charlotte. Plus, more barrels mean that it’s even easier for folks to drop off coats!”

Donating is easy; there are four options. Locations, links, and information are available at 704CoatDrive.com.

• Barrel Locations: Drop off at a nearby business participating in the drive from now – Nov. 12.
• Online Donations: Donate monetarily online.
• Zip-Up Day: It is how Charlotte Mechanical zips up the drive. On Nov. 12 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., the public is invited to bring their coat donations to the parking lot of Dilworth Neighborhood Grille. They will be greeted with free food, music, mascots and some zippy surprises. Visitors may drive through and go or stay for a bit. A contact-less drive-through will be available as well. Check the website closer to the date for any logistics updates due to the pandemic.
• Appointments: Charlotte Mechanical customers may give to their technician during an appointment.

What started 11 years ago as a small donation of coats from the owners and their friends, has now become the company’s largest community event. The drive has resulted in close to 10,000 coats from the past two years. Charlotte Mechanical funds everything 100% with zero cost to The Salvation Army or any barrel partner.

Presenting Sponsor:
Charlotte Mechanical
14301 S. Lakes Dr.
Charlotte, NC

ABOUT THE 704 COAT DRIVE:
The 704 Coat Drive, formerly known as the Charlotte Coat Drive, is presented by Charlotte Mechanical and benefits the Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte. The annual two-month campaign recruits fellow Charlotte organizations to place coat donation barrels at their businesses/offices. This year, from Sept. 15 - Nov. 12, Charlotteans will be able to drop off coats at these barrels or gift a monetary donation online. The campaign will conclude with one last chance to donate at Zip-Up Day on Nov. 12 at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille. All coats collected are always distributed to the Salvation Army's men, women and children’s shelters and the Boys and Girls Clubs. Through the love, generosity and help of special partnerships, the 704 Coat Drive continues to grow each year. Our record is 5,200 and our goal this year is to collect 6,000!

This release was published on openPR.