LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Christmas is in 90 days, but for so many Kentuckians the season of giving has already started.
That includes community activist Devine Carama, who's currently raising money to get brand-new coats for kids this holiday season.
"We expect this year for the need to be even greater than normal," said Carama, the founder of the nonprofit Believing in Forever. This will be the organization's 9th annual coat drive. They've donated more than 15,000 coats in the last eight years.
This year, Carama says flooding in Eastern Kentucky and record inflation has many families struggling to make ends meet. That's why he's hoping to raise enough money for 4,000 brand-new coats.
"We've seen a lot of kids where even something as basic as a coat they're not able to secure when the weather drops and so we want to meet that need," he told LEX 18.
Carama is already raising money with the goal of kick-starting the campaign with $5,000 by Saturday, October 1.
"You can change a kid's life, and for a kid to get something brand new, this is what community and Kentucky is about," Carama said.
Here are ways to donate right now, according to Carama:
- Organize a mini coat drive at your work space. Encourage employees to bring in brand new youth coat sizes until the first week of December when we start collecting.
- Smaller donations can be made electronically via Cash App to $BelievingInForever, Venmo to BelievingInForever, or Paypal to 859-303-2637
- Personal or business checks made out to ‘Believing In Forever Inc’ and mailed to 209 Castlewood Drive, Lexington, KY 40505
