A coat. It seems so basic. But thousands of children in our viewing area need warm winter wear for the cold months ahead, especially families devastated by Hurricanes Florence and Michael.

Coats for the Children is WRAL’s major community campaign to support families in need. We ask our viewers to donate gently used, clean coats, hats and gloves to outfit children for winter. We also collect new toys to make the holidays brighter for children at the Salvation Army.

The 30th Annual campaign kicked off on Saturday, November 17, 2018, on the day of the Raleigh Christmas Parade, and will run through December 31.

Currently, more than 9,000 children in Wake County need a warm coat and will not have a new toy this holiday season unless we help. In Durham, Orange and Person counties, over 1,200 children need warm winter clothing, as do 1,100 children in Johnston County. And in Cumberland County, over 3,000 children need warm coats and new toys for the holiday season.

Find out more details, including drop-off locations and a link to donate online by going to WRAL.com and searching for the keyword ‘coats‘.