Picture this: A makeshift store containing aisles and aisles of brand-new kids' coats separated by sizes, styles and colors. Families in need can enter, peruse the winter coats, select one and take it home.

That's what Coats for Kids looks like. That's what the Salvation Army means when it says, "Doing the most good."

"My favorite part about Coats for Kids is when the kids go into where the coats are," said Shady Boules, who's been Salvation Army Lancaster Corps' operations and development manager for five years. "You see their eyes open. I tell them, 'Go ahead; pick a coat.' They'll answer, 'Do you mean I can pick a coat? Do you mean I can pick my favorite color?' For some, it's their first time. To see kids making a decision on what things they can wear is very rewarding."

It is at that exact moment when all the hard work that goes into the Salvation Army Lancaster's Coats for Kids program becomes worth it.

The 30th annual initiative to make sure every kid in Lancaster County has a brand-new winter coat continues. Coats for Kids, which is currently being implemented at the Salvation Army Lancaster Corps' headquarters' gymnasium at 131 S. Queen St., Lancaster, kicked off its efforts in October, and the program will run through the end of March or until the weather turns warmer.

"Once fall arrives, some people start thinking, 'How do I get coats for my kids?'" said Boules. "We want kids to be able to go to school and make sure the other kids can't tell their coats came from the Salvation Army. We treat our neighbors with dignity. We want them to be proud of their coats."

This season's Coats for Kids initiative has already distributed 1,900 brand-new kids' coats to kids and families in need from Lancaster County. The Salvation Army expects to hand out another 600 coats before the end of the winter season.

Individuals can still donate brand-new coats by dropping them off at the Salvation Army Lancaster Corps' headquarters, or they can donate monetarily.

"If people have more coats, we'd appreciate it. We need more coats all the time," said Boules. "We hope we'll keep doing it. Every single dollar for this program goes right to Coats for Kids. It doesn't go anywhere else. We want to make sure we have enough coats for next year and the year after."

The Coats for Kids program is designed for kids up to 16 years of age who reside in Lancaster County. Following an application and interview process, each child in need is permitted to choose one coat.

"We cover every ZIP code in Lancaster County," said Boules. "Some people think we're only serving people from the city, but that's not true."

"It gives hope to the children when they know there's a community standing behind them," Boules continued. "We have a lot of people dropping off checks and saying, 'We were part of this program years ago. I'd like to give back and pay for someone else.'"

It takes nearly 150 volunteers - community members, members of churches, companies and service clubs and students - to make Coats for Kids run smoothly. In the early days of September, local television station WGAL helped raise $130,000 for the program.

"We're very thankful for the people who believe in this service," said Boules. "We are blessed to have a generous community. We want to tell the community that we're here to help. The door is still open."

For additional information about Salvation Army Lancaster Corps, go to https://pa.salvationarmy.org/lancaster-pa.