Chrysler dives into Coats for Kids

By Mandy Matthews

From assembling minivans to folding coats, Windsor Chrysler workers stop the assembly line to sort through donated coats for low-income families.

Michael Brieda, Chrysler Dodge Caravan plant manager, partnered his senior staff of 10 people with the Unemployed Help Centre to volunteer for the Coats for Kids campaign.

The coats have been collected from a number of contributors since Sept. 1. The centre gathered them all into the Windsor Truck and Storage warehouse, where Brieda’s team met their challenge at noon.

“We all have jobs. We all get up in the morning, go to work to do a particular job for a company typically, whether you’re self-employed or for a big company like Chrysler,” said Brieda. “We’re building vehicles for a reason and we also have to help the community that surrounds us and that supports us.”

More than 12 racks rolled back and forth on the cement floor. The storage centre was packed with large wooden crates with people’s belongings stored away in them. There was almost not enough room to get the job done. People blended into the rows of coats; girls, boys, leather, cotton.

In a little less than three hours, the workers sorted through over 3,000 coats. The campaign expects to exceed their peak from last year of 6,000 coats.

Brieda, along with four other men sorted piles of different coats to be washed. Other volunteers separated coats based on size and gender to be distributed on Nov. 8. Debbie Desjardins, food bank supervisor for the Unemployed Help Centre, oversees the program.

“Many times if the children do not have coats, the parents do not either,” said Desjardins. “There are also many new Canadians that have come from warm countries and have never seen a winter so the whole family is in need of winter wear.”

The centre took over the program 12 years ago, when the Red Cross could no longer do it, said Desjardins. She has been overseeing the program ever since she started working for the Unemployed Help Centre five years ago. They collect new or gently used coats, leggings, hats and mittens or gloves for both children and adults.

Desjardins said she is thankful for the help from the assembly line workers because they are struggling to get enough coats to the dry cleaners in time for distribution. Dry cleaning locations around Windsor-Essex are collecting coats this week; including, Master Cleaners, Blondie Cleaners, IXL Cleaners in Windsor.

Brieda said he is hoping his team recognizes the fulfilment that can be found in a piece of fabric and expects it to spill over into the workplace.

“Minivans don’t get produced just because of a few people, everyone’s involved,” said Brieda. “We call ourselves the “family-of-one,” so the way we work at the facility, even though it’s over 3,500 employees, we work together as a family.”

“We are looking on the human interaction side of the business and how do we get more fulfilled by doing community service, so we go back to work feeling better about what we’ve done, the time we’ve given and be more productive and happy at work as well,” said Brieda.

The Coats for Kids campaign is almost ready for its 29^th distribution. They originally handed out about 3,400 coats in their first year and have dramatically grown. The main location to pick out your winter coat is at the Unemployed Help Centre at 6955 Cantelon Dr. during the second week of November. For more information visit, www.unemplyedhelpcentre.ca.