Coats, hats and gloves have been found lying on the street corners in the United Kingdom, light poles in the United Kingdom and just recently in the United States. Where have these coats come from? These coats have come from charitable people and most importantly, these coats were most definitely not left by accident.

These essential pieces of winter gear are being left out as an act of charity, left by random individuals for the homeless. This is a charitable act that continued to spread and should continue. “I am not lost, I was made to keep you warm. Feel free to take me if you are cold…. enjoy your walk… and the rest of your day.” This was a note attached to a coat that Terri Perrin found on a walk at Lewis Park in Courtenay, B.C according to Rhianna Schmunk, an associate editor at The Huffington Post B.C.

And according to ABC News, a Maine College student by the name of Gabriella Kaper started purchasing coats at Goodwill and then leaving them outside for the homeless, attached to light poles.  Kaper recalls going to the local Goodwill on Monday, taking advantage of the store’s one dollar sale. She then takes the coats that she has purchased and scatters them around downtown Portland, Maine.

I personally would encourage an actual charity to come out of this so that those who are coatless during the harsh cold holiday season can keep warm but this charity would need to be monitored more closely. How do those who leave the coats know that those coats are going to a person who really needs it?

They do not.

We have a greedy society and some random selfish individual could easily take those coats that are meant for the homeless and sell them. This is not fair to those who selflessly gave or to those who really are in need. I was just listening to a radio station the other night and the host spoke about how much of a selfish group of people we are. This is why this knew charity trend needs to become monitored.

While I agree that our country is full of some selfish people, I do see good in our communities and a charity like this would restore that faith, that we do indeed have good people amongst us.

If there was a charity we could make drop off stations and have those stations monitored. This is a necessity to ensure that those people in need get the tools necessary to survive the harsh winter season. One such charitable event did occur which was done almost completely by volunteers.

On Christmas Day, hundreds of volunteers gathered in Denver for the eighth time, handing out coats, sleeping bags and clothes to the homeless, just outside the state Capitol. This is an organized event that has done good for many people. If we could form the charity in this way with volunteers monitoring who has been given coats and such.

Charity is an amazing thing to get involved with during the winter season and this charity coat trend that has begun to sprung up needs to continue to grow.