EDINBURGH, Ind. — More than 1,600 coats donated by the Salvation Army have been delivered to Camp Atterbury in southern Indiana as part of the effort to provide warm clothing and other essential items to Afghan refugees.
Soldiers from the Indiana National Guard collected and delivered the coats Friday from an armory designated as a collection site for donations to Operation Allies Welcome, the name of the evacuee mission.
Several thousand evacuees remain housed temporarily at Camp Atterbury, about 25 miles south of Indianapolis. Nearly half of them are children age 14 or younger.
The donated coats were collected as part of The Salvation Army's Coats for Kids campaign.
For over 35 years, WTHR and the Salvation Army have partnered to make sure central Indiana kids stay warm with the Coats for Kids program. Children received coats donated by the community during the annual distribution event Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
PHOTOS: Coats for Kids distribution 2021
The community donated almost 5,000 new and gently used coats this year.
About 2,700 kids were registered to receive coats at the event. The remaining coats were distributed through schools and agencies, with some coats going to Afghan children living at Camp Atterbury.