Koats for Kids
Winter gear for little Winnipeggers
Every year from September to January, Winnipeggers donate over 6,000 coats, and Koats for Kids shares this winter gear with Winnipeg families.
Imagine a winter in Winnipeg without warm clothing. For kids, having a coat, mitts, boots, and scarf doesn’t only make the difference between being cold or comfortable—it can also make the difference between staying at home or going to school to learn. Being able to dress for our weather means kids can stay connected to friends during our city’s many cold months, and warm gear protects tiny fingers and toes from frostbite and other exposures to the elements.
Your donations to Koats for Kids are a commitment to making sure our community’s young people can be all they can be.
Need winter gear?
Koats for Kids is not equipped to accept orders directly from individuals, parents, or caregivers. Instead, please ask your child’s school, daycare, or a social service agency in Winnipeg to request winter outerwear on your behalf. If you need assistance, a United Way Winnipeg agency partner may be able to help.
Have winter outerwear to share?
Donate your new and gently used kid’s winter gear now. Winnipeg needs your help!
• Coats (with working zipper) • Boots • Toques • Neck Warmers
Have adult winter gear to donate? No problem! While our focus is on distributing winter outerwear to children, we also distribute winter coats and accessories to adults, whenever possible.
Please make sure coats are clean, in good condition, and that the zippers work.
We truly appreciate Winnipeggers’ generosity, however Koats for Kids is unable to accept donations of the following items:
• Light spring/fall jackets
• Vests
• Runners
• Dressy boots
• Hoodies
• Blankets
Looking for an organization to accept other clothing items? Please call 211 and speak to a Service Navigator, or visit 211 Manitoba.
Where can you donate?
o Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service
• Station 12 – 1780 Taylor Avenue
• Station 16 – 1001 McGregor Street
• Station 20 – 525 Banting Drive
• Station 21 – 1446 Regent Avenue West
• Station 22 – 1567 Waverley Street
• Station 26 – 1525 Dakota Street
o Access Storage
• 345 Higgins Avenue
• 198 Archibald Street
• 275 Gordon Avenue
• 11 Paramount Road
• 545 Hervo Street
• 21 Lowson Crescent
• 3101 Pembina Highway
o AMJ Campbell
36 Ryan Wirth Way, East St. Paul
Want to collect coats for kids?
Host your own collection drive!
Running a collection drive to gather up gently used winter gear is a great way to celebrate a birthday, engage your customers, or show your students’ community spirit.
Register your coat drive and we’ll send you an email with tips on organizing a successful drive and a poster to help promote it!
Want to volunteer?
We run on volunteer power!
Imagine 7000+ kg of coats, hats, mitts, scarves, ski pants & boots. That’s a lot of sorting, organizing & packaging!
You can join us for a few hours so we can get our packages to kids quickly. Bring your family, a small group of friends or co-workers—or come on your own—and share in Winnipeg’s legendary community spirit. Volunteers must be a minimum of 16 years of age.
Just call 204-586-5628 or email us to set up a volunteer shift at the Koats for Kids Volunteer Centre at 231 King Street.
To schedule a volunteer shift for your group, please email United Way Winnipeg.
Calling all knitters!
Love to knit? Gather your knitting circle to make neck warmers for elementary students who may not be allowed to wear scarves at recess or to school for safety concerns.
Check out these knitting instructions or use your favourite neck warmer pattern. Our volunteers recommend 88-92 stitches for smaller children and 100 stitches for youth and adults.
School, daycare, or agency looking to place an order?
Koats for Kids relies on schools, daycares, and agencies like yours to order on behalf of families in need of warm winter outerwear. Thank you for partnering with us to help get warm winter gear into hands of Winnipeggers’ who need them most. We appreciate your support!
Frequently Asked Questions for Families
Koats for Kids only accepts orders from Winnipeg schools, daycares, or nonprofit and social service organizations.
Koats for Kids is not open to the public. Your child’s school, daycare, or a United Way Winnipeg agency partner will place an order on your behalf.
We work hard to distribute winter gear as quickly as we can but are unable to provide a standard timeframe for fulfilling orders. Please email Koats for Kids for order updates.
We are a local United Way, supporting the Winnipeg community. Unfortunately, we do not have the inventory or resources to distribute winter gear outside of Winnipeg. For a list of organizations with second-hand clothing available in your community, please call 211 and speak to a Service Navigator or go to 211 Manitoba, click on the Food & Clothing tile, enter your location, check the Second-hand Clothing box, and press Search.
For a list of organizations that have second-hand clothing, please call 211 and speak to a Service Navigator or go to 211 Manitoba, click on the Food & Clothing tile, enter your location, check the Second-hand Clothing box, and press search.
Koats for Kids Partners
We couldn’t do it without our partners! These Winnipeg companies help clean, transfer, and store our inventory and raise awareness about this essential community service. Thank you.
