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Local Voices

CT Service Plazas 1st Annual Winter Coat Drive

Darien, CT (December 16, 2013) – Motorists who travel on I-95 near Darien have an easy way to donate coats to those who need them. Connecticut Service Plazas will hold its first winter coat drive at two of its newly renovated Service Plazas on Thursday, December 19th.  Coats will be collected at the I-95 Darien Northbound and Southbound Service Plazas from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

 

The event will be held in collaboration with Star 99.9 WEZN-FM and Fox 95.9 WFOX-FM. The coats will be donated to a local community organization, Person to Person. 

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With more than 75,000 people living below the Federal Poverty Level in Fairfield County and using their limited resources to keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table, there is a significant need for winter coats.

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“Our goal, at CT Service Plazas, is to become a part of the communities that we serve here,” said Paul Landino, President and CEO of Project Service. “We are right along the highway so it is only fitting that we provide people driving by a convenient way to make a big difference in the life of someone who doesn’t have a coat. Cold weather has arrived, and we hope to keep the people of Connecticut warm this winter.”

 Person to Person (P2P), the organization that will  receive the coats, is a volunteer-driven, community-supported agency which, through the sharing of goods and talents, responds to individuals and families who lack the basic necessities or resources to improve their lives. P2P is a full-service agency, which services clients throughout lower Fairfield County. The donated coats will be distributed through a number of different P2P outreach programs, with the majority going to the Darien Clothing Center. Three hundred families go to the clothing center each week to receive a bag of clothing for each of their family members. These coats will be included among the items that are given out to those in need at the Clothing Center.

 “We are thrilled to be starting a new partnership with the Connecticut Service Plazas,” said Pat Cage, In-Kind Manager at Person to Person. “There are so many in need, and we go through coats so quickly. We can easily give out 1,000 coats in a week. We greatly appreciate what the Service Plazas are doing, and so do the many people who need a warm coat.”

 

About CT Project Service

Project Service LLC has a long-term contract with the state to renovate and operate the Service Plazas. Twelve of 23 Service Plazas have been completely renovated and reopened. All 23 Service Plazas are open twenty-four hours a day. Each Service Plaza offers different food options; some of these options include Subway, McDonalds, and Dunkin’ Donuts. Each Service Plaza also features a convenience store and an ExxonMobil gas station. The plazas also have clean restrooms, free WiFi and backup power generators for use during power outages.

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