Melrose Funeral Home Seeks Donated Coats to Help Needy

For the fourth consecutive year Melrose-based Gately Funeral Home is collecting gently-used coats for the needy.

The coat drive, which kicked off Dec. 1, will run through January 2014. Coats can be dropped off at Gately Funeral Home, 79 West Foster St.

"We’ve placed a collection box in the lobby of our Melrose funeral home for all donations of clean, gently-used coats for men, women, and children," said John Gately, owner and funeral director at Gately Funeral Home, in a press statement. "We are glad to do our part to help the less fortunate in our community by collecting coats again this winter."

Last year, more than 300 coats were donated to the cause and were distributed to local shelters, according to the Gately.

"We are consistently overwhelmed by the generosity of those in Melrose and surrounding towns who donate to this worthy cause each year. It truly is a win-win situation," Gately said in the statement. "People tell me they feel wonderful that they can help others in need while cleaning out their closets for no longer wanted coats.

"Who knows what kind of winter we will have? But, whatever the weather, we are confident that many individuals and families will be thankful for the warmth of a coat just when it is needed the most."

Established in 1889, the Gately Funeral Home celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2014, reads the statement.