Coats for Kids seeks cash donations

The 32nd annual Las Cruces Coats for Kids campaign is underway, with organizers asking the community to rally together to provide new winter coats for local children in need before cold weather arrives. Cash donations are requested by Thursday, Oct. 1 for this year’s campaign.

A volunteer-based project of the nonprofit Love Las Cruces, Coats for Kids will focus first for the 2026 campaign on elementary-school students attending Las Cruces Public Schools, where the need is approximately 2,500 coats, said Coats for Kids Program Director Alycia Jameson.

“Our goal is simple: to make sure that when cold weather arrives, children in our community have a warm coat to wear,” Jameson said. “The need in Las Cruces is significant, and reaching our goal is going to take the whole community. We want to serve every elementary student who needs us.”

Coats for Kids works directly with school counselors and social workers who identify children who need assistance, Jameson said. Based on available funding, the program makes a firm commitment to each participating school, which provides sizes and other information before coats are ordered in October for distribution before Thanksgiving, she said.

“When a school identifies a child for the program, we want them to be confident that child’s coat will be there,” Jameson said. “That’s why the donations we receive by Oct. 1 are so important. They determine how many students we can commit to serving in this year’s distribution. We know it can be difficult to think about winter coats when it’s still hot outside, but we have to prepare before the cold weather gets here.” (The Oct. 1 deadline is important for this year’s campaign, Jameson said, but Coats for Kids welcomes donations year-round.)

An efficient way to give a coat

Coats for Kids is accepting monetary donations only, she said; new and gently used coats are not being collected. Purchasing in bulk allows the program to buy quality, affordable new coats in the sizes needed, helping donations go as far as possible, Jameson said.

“On average, $20 provides a new coat for a local child,” she said.” Whether you give $5, $20, $100 or rally your whole workplace to give, those donations come together to help us reach more kids.”

For families, the impact goes beyond the coat itself, Jameson said.

“When a parent knows their child has a warm coat, that is one less essential expense they have to worry about,” she said. “It allows them to use those resources for groceries, utilities, housing and the other needs.”

A community effort

“We are asking all of Las Cruces to rally around kids who need coats,” Jameson said. “Donate personally, but also think about what you can do together. Collect donations at your office, ask coworkers to participate, challenge another office, organize a fundraiser through your business, club, church or organization.”

Jameson also encouraged “those who serve the community every day” to participate in this year’s campaign, including first responders and public servants.

Participating groups, businesses and teams are encouraged to share their fundraising efforts on social media and tag @lascrucescoatsforkids so Coats for Kids can celebrate and share their efforts, she said, and they may be featured on the Las Cruces Coats for Kids website: lascrucescoatsforkids.org.

More to come

Upcoming Coats for Kids community fundraising challenges and events will be announced through social media and on the website, Jameson said.

Community partners

The campaign’s main sponsors are D2 Designs, Knights of Columbus and Comet Cleaners and Laundry, she said.

“The Knights of Columbus have been among the program’s most dedicated longtime supporters, serving as Coats for Kids’ ‘boots on the ground’ and rallying donations through local churches year after year,” Jameson said. “They talk to people about the need and bring in donations that put a lot of coats on local children. They don’t just lend their name to Coats for Kids — they show up and do the work, and we appreciate them tremendously.”

D2 Designs is a local print shop operated by Jameson and her husband, Josh. Comet Cleaners and Laundry continues as a longtime supporter of Coats for Kids, she said.

The Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico is also supporting this year’s campaign by helping Coats for Kids connect with new donors and potential funding opportunities, Jameson said.

“It warms my heart to read the messages people send with their checks,” she said. “We know that behind every donation is someone who genuinely cares about the little ones in our community. Some people can give a little and some can give more, but it all adds up.

“The kids are truly grateful for their new coats, and their parents are so grateful, too,” Jameson said. “There is something special about a child receiving a brand-new coat in their size and knowing that it is theirs.”

Reaching beyond the elementary-school goal

Once Coats for Kids reaches its 2,500-coat goal for elementary-school students, it will expand to buy coats for middle- and high school students in need, Jameson said. The organization also plans to help children in neighboring communities, including students in the Gadsden Independent School District and Hatch Valley Public Schools. Gadsden is also fundraising for its students this year, she said.

How to help

Donations can be made online by credit card at lascrucescoatsforkids.com/donate.

Make checks payable to Love Las Cruces, with “Coats for Kids” written in the memo line, and mail them to Love Las Cruces, Attn: Coats for Kids, 101 Perkins Drive, Suite B, Las Cruces, N.M. 88005.

Coats for Kids posters are available for pickup at D2 Designs (same address as above), open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday). Businesses and community organizations can pick up a poster and help connect their customers, employees and visitors with the campaign, Jameson said.

For additional information, contact Alycia Jameson at 575-541-0202.