Warm Coats

By Ken Bresnan, Parish Outreach Liaison for Catholic Charities in Des Moines Iowa



Many of us are familiar with a "jeans day". That day where if you donate to a cause you can wear jeans to work or school. Last week I experienced my first "coat day". It was the day that winter coats were available for the first time this year at St. Mary Family Center, Catholic Charities' food pantry and free clothing closet. This is why we have been asking parishes, and in turn all of you, to donate your slightly used coats.



St. Mary Family Center opened at 10 a.m. and, as reported by the staff, they already had a line at that time. I was only there for half an hour, but WOW. There were never less than 50 people in the center and never less than seven different nationalities and as I listened I thought back to the New Testament where the Apostles spoke and people heard them in their native languages. That is what I saw. Warm coats, donated by good people, offered to strangers who need them-- that is definitely an act of charity and charity is that universal language which all understand.



What more can I tell you about the people that now will be wearing your coats? Well, the first thing I noticed is that many wore hats, ball caps, wool hats, seed corn hats, and sari scarves. I saw red, blue, black, white, purple and one orange hat. I saw clean and dirty hats. As with any crowd over 25, one person was wearing a Green Bay Packer hat. Once I was over seeing everyone’s head gear, I started to notice the individuals. They were polite, quiet and cooperative with the staff that was busy organizing lines and giving people time to pick which coat or coats were needed for their families.




Driving home I couldn't help but think of the oft mentioned coat of many colors for Joseph in Genesis. Sometimes I hear that referred to as a patch work coat. In a sense I saw that in reverse that morning. The people receiving coats were a patch work, a mosaic of God’s creation. And you all were there with them symbolically through your donated coats.


I can’t help but think that we as congregations in this instance have done good.