7,500 free coats help CHA kids suit up for the cold

For North Lawndale resident Mary Walton, the Chicago Housing Authority’s annual coat distribution came in the nick of time.

Walton said while she and her four grandkids have had to “mask up” and “glove up” during the coronavirus pandemic, the free jackets will help them keep warm as temperatures start to dip.

“This came in right on time,” said Walton, whose grandchildren range from 4 to 14 years old.

Partnering with national nonprofit Operation Warm, CHA will distribute around 7,500 brand new coats to children living in public housing in its 13th annual winter coat distribution at Credit Union 1 arena on the Near West Side.

Kristen Hamer, director of corporate and external partnerships at CHA, said the distribution is typically held on a single weekend day over four hours. However, due to COVID-19, this year’s will be held over four days; it ends Saturday.

The coronavirus “gave us a sense of urgency because we knew of the economic fallout of COVID and its impact on our families, many of whom were hit hard by job loss,” Hamer said. “The need for the coats will be even greater this fall.”

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Families attending the distribution — which also included CHA voucher recipients — have pre-registered online and are receiving coats based on how many children were on their lease. Hamer said CHA expects around 3,000 families to attend the by the time the event ends.

Rich Lalley, partnerships director of Operation Warm — which provides winter coats to families with children — said the coats are priced around $50, which means families can save up for rent and utilities, especially heat.

“The kids also have a little bit of a sense of hope because they know that somebody cared enough about them to make sure they got a brand new coat,” Lalley said.

This was the case for people like Clearing resident Monica Torres, who has five children.

Torres said it’s her fourth year participating in the winter coat distribution, which has helped her financially since her kids keep growing out of their coats.

“Even if I do have a job, sometimes I don’t have enough money to buy a jacket for everybody,” said Torres, who’s a cashier. “I have to maintain my children first.”

CHA CEO Tracey Scott said the coat distribution shows that the housing authority isn’t just about housing, and that they are always trying to support the families in any way.

“When we’re able to see the expression on someone’s face when we’re providing a service that is so needed and so critical to our lives, that really helps my staff and our team to go the next day when it gets harder and harder,” Scott said.

But for Torres, she’s grateful for CHA’s help with not only the coats, but also services like helping out when her apartment is too cold, or if a utility is about to shut off.

“They do help a lot, that’s why I’m able to maintain my bills, because if not, I wouldn’t be able to do it,” Torres said.