PORT ANGELES — Sculptures and posts in downtown Port Angeles were briefly well-dressed for the cold in November, and seven people are now a bit warmer.
More coats are expected to appear Dec. 13.
Eight warm winter coats appeared in random locations on Nov. 26, each garment bearing a tag saying it was not lost but was looking for a new owner.
“All but one were gone by the next day,” said Rose Marschall, one of the organizers of the Love Thy Neighbor Coat Peace Project.
Marschall and M.E. Bartholomew, members of the Revitalize Port Angeles Facebook group, saw a post on Facebook about how, in another city, volunteers placed coats on posts with notes offering them to those who were cold and coatless.
Neither saw a reason as to why it could not be done in Port Angeles, especially with the human-shaped sculptures that dot the downtown landscape that would make natural stands for the coats.
Lone coat
One coat remained where it had been left on Tuesday, and Marschall said she thought it was simply in a bad location, in a less used area on Front Street.
Marschall and Bartholomew moved the coat to Oak Street, and said they hoped someone who needs it will find it more easily there.
The name for the project came from the intent of the project.
“Being warm brings a feeling of peace,” Marschall said.
The coats and jackets were purchased at Goodwill in Port Angeles during a 50 percent discount sale, she said.
The mass purchase pretty much wiped out Goodwill’s supply of good coats to distribute, she said, so it may be time to go farther afield, to Sequim or Port Townsend, to do their shopping.
More coats
Marschall said she and Bartholomew plan to dress the sculptures and posts on Dec. 13, once they have resupplied their coat collection.
“If it’s raining, we will wait until a sunny day,” she said, noting that rain would make the coats cold and soggy.
Additions of scarves, gloves and new, warm socks have also been suggested to be added to the free, warm items on the Revitalize page discussion of the project.
Donations should be clean and washed, with no rips or other damage, Marschall said.
Anyone who wants to donate warm clothing for the project can phone Marschall at 360-808-2662.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
