Harvest Church of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, distributed over 1,500 new children’s coats this year through its annual Kidz-N-Coats giveaway, the largest outreach in the program’s 16-year history. Coordinator Teresa Blauwet stated that approximately 1,400 coats were given to families in need, with the remaining 100 being donated to local child-focused organizations such as Compassion Childcare, Volunteers of America, and area foster care networks.
The ministry began in 2009 when Pastor Charlie Dial’s son gave away his own coat to a friend at school. “This brought the attention and awareness to them that there are children in South Dakota in the cold winter season who were without proper winter gear,” Blauwet said. What started with just 20 coats has expanded into a major outreach, now funded by a church-organized golf tournament.
“We believe that in generously giving coats to those who are in need, we are being the light that Jesus instructed us to be,” Blauwet explained. “We are also training up disciples within our church … to love and serve their community around them.”
