WORCESTER, Mass. - Veterans Inc. is helping those who served stay warm this holiday season by providing free winter coats and gifts for veterans and their families. 

What You Need To Know

  • Veterans Inc. collaborated with Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation to give out more than 6,000 winter coats and 6,000 toys

  • The clothing and gifts will be distributed throughout New England

  • In total, more than 8,000 families from across New England will benefit

  • The organization has done similar holiday drives previously, but this was the first Holiday Coat & Gift Giving Project

The organization's Holiday Coat & Gift Giving Project is a new effort in collaboration with community partners to bring the kind of care and support Worcester County veterans have come to know to a much wider audience. 

Marleen Kilcoyne, fund development manager at Veterans Inc., said the organization collaborated with the Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation. 

"It's not just clients and veterans that Veterans Inc. knows. We're also working with 19 organizations in Massachusetts and 30 organizations in New England to distribute the sheer number of supplies that we have," Kilcoyne said. "So it's also a wonderful catalyst to build these partnerships."

More than 6,000 winter coats and 6,000 toys were distributed. 

"What it's providing to families this time of year can't be overstated," Kilcoyne said. "The level of comfort and dignity that it restores in a veteran's life to be able to provide on Christmas is something that's a huge part of our mission here."

In total, more than 8,000 families from across New England will benefit, with coats and toys being distributed across the region. 

David Sarlitto, executive director of the Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation, said the foundation had worked with Veterans Inc. in the past, but not at this scale. 

"We thought, 'let's see if they're up to the challenge to spread this holiday program beyond Massachusetts and throughout New England, get to the organizations that really need the help here," Sarlitto said. "But you need some talented partners, and in this particular case, I think we found it."

Along with the coat and toys, Kilcoyne said veterans could also use a visit and support from their loved ones this holiday season. 

"Ask them how they're doing, the holidays are tough on all veterans, either those that are here, those that are deployed and separated from their family, that's a big challenge and it's something that we're always trying to reconnect them with here," Kilcoyne said.