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Charity’s leftover coats help homeless

By DAVID SCHMEICHEL, SUN MEDIA

The weather outside? Still frightful.

But for hundreds of this city’s homeless, what’s left of the winter just got a little easier to bear, thanks to a “pay it forward”-type donation from one charity to another.

“We had a fundraiser last year where we were selling these coats to raise money for therapeutic horse riding,” said Graham Curnew, chairman of Manitoba Riding for the Disabled Association, a not-for-profit that provides horseback rides to kids living with disabilities.

“We had some coats left over, so we thought this would be a good opportunity to help another organization.”

Some 200 coats — all of them fleece-lined — were distributed to clients of Siloam Mission yesterday morning.

Curnew said the Mission seemed like a perfect fit for the winter-wear, especially considering the bone-chilling conditions outside.

Wayne Smith — director of Hannah’s Place, the emergency shelter at Siloam Mission — said the coats will definitely come in handy these next few months.

“We like to talk about the connecting point between compassionate people and the less fortunate,” said Smith. “And here’s an instance where people of the community are connecting up with people in need.

But Smith said it’s also important to remember Winnipeg’s less fortunate need help all year round.

“Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, there are 17,200 homeless people in Winnipeg,” he said, noting the Mission always welcomes donations of adult clothing. “Whether it’s +40 or -40, we’re still serving them.”

Posted on: http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/winnipeg/2009/01/14/8015371-sun.html