Winter coats for the taking in Ironton

Published 12:00 am Sunday, December 6, 2015

Lisa Smith, with the First Baptist Church, prepares to hang coats to the poles located at the Ironton Farmers Market Saturday. The coats are for anyone who may need a coat.

Lisa Smith, with the First Baptist Church, prepares to hang coats to the poles located at the Ironton Farmers Market Saturday. The coats are for anyone who may need a coat.

The fresh produce may be gone from the Ironton Farmers Market, but there is still something growing there and at the Center Street boat ramp: heavy, warm winter coats.

Through the month of December First Baptist Church of Ironton is hanging 150 men’s and women’s coats on the light poles at the market and on trees at the riverfront — all for the taking by anyone in need.

“We saw it on the Internet where they were doing that in Huntington,” said Lisa Smith, in charge of the church’s clothes closet. “We have people in need. This is something that needs to be done.”

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All of the coats were donated to the closet by church members.

“Our members are so giving,” Smith said. “We had a back-to-school clothes giveaway and we wanted to do other things for the community. “We have been very blessed.”

On Saturday Smith and her son, Gabriel, spent the morning hanging the coats at the market.

Every few days Smith plans to check the two locations to see if they need replenishing.

“We will be doing this until we run out,” she said.