Contributed by Fairfield CentralHigh School

Many struggling men and women visit The Cooperative Ministry for the first time during the cold season. Seeing so many without a coat has prompted the ministry and partnering businesses to collect coats to give to the poor and homeless individuals of the Columbia area.

One Fairfield Central High School student was inspired by the community’s appeal to help make winter warmer for Columbia’s homeless. Chadrick Johnson of Winnsboro started a school effort to collect coats. With the temperatures dropping to freezing they wanted to bring their collections early so that the homeless could have coats for the winter.

Along with some school officials from Fairfield Central High, Chadrick, and a group of students from the high school in Winnsboro will be presenting the coats to the ministry December 24 at 1:30.

So many area homeless are without coats to wear this winter season. A total of 1,600 coats have been provied to the homeless and needy. What better way to celebrate the season of giving than to share in this wonderful opportunity of seeing children from afar helping Columbia make life easier for the homeless.