Bellevue Youth Link is asking for the community’s help in providing needy families through the organization’s 10th annual Kids Care Coat Drive.

Donations can be dropped off through Jan. 12, at City Hall, Crossroads Mall Mini City Hall, all Bellevue public schools or any Bellevue community center. Coats will be distributed to Bellevue families in need on Monday, Jan. 12, from 5-7 p.m. at Crossroads Community Center, 16000 N.E. 10th St., while supplies last.

Volunteers are also needed to help sort and distribute the donations. For information about other donation locations or volunteering, contact Patrick Alina, Youth Link Program Coordinator at palina@bellevuewa.gov or 425-452-5254.

For information about the coat distribution event, contact Vicki Drake, Community Services Supervisor at vdrake@bellevuewa.gov or 425-452-4874.

Kids Care Coat Drive was established in 2004 by former Chinook Middle School student Ricky Teegarden. When Teegarden was a volunteer for Youth Link’s Teen Closet, a clothing bank for middle- and high-school students, he saw that coats, jackets and other warm outerwear were the most-requested items. While helping plan the school’s annual canned-food drive, he suggested collecting coats, too. The first drive brought in 350 coats. Last year, Kids Care Coat Drive collected over 3,000 coats for Bellevue families in need.

The coat drive is supported by Bel-Red Self Storage and the Bellevue Home Depot. Bellevue Youth Link is a partnership of the city of Bellevue and Bellevue public schools that provides teens with opportunities to have an active voice and make a positive difference in the community.