MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — The holiday spirit has officially arrived in Mountain Home, and local mom Emma Coupe is adding a little extra cheer of her own by organizing a community coat drive to help families stay warm this winter.
“As a stay-at-home mom, I knew that I had extra time. I just wanted to find something that would better my whole community," Coupe said.
WATCH | How you can get a jacket at this year's coat drive—
Coupe put out a call for donations, asking neighbors to drop gently used coats into collection boxes around town. The response has been overwhelming.
"I have little sizes from toddler, and then I have all the way to adults. I think every size is accounted for," Coupe said.
Thanks to dozens of contributions, her car is packed with boxes, and people are already reaching out, hoping to claim a coat before temperatures drop even lower.
"It does feel good that there's people reaching out asking me to save different sizes, and that's what all the work is for," Coupe said.
A few weeks ago, Coupe cleared the entire student meal debt at East Elementary, hoping to take one worry off parents' plates. Now, with the holidays approaching, she says this coat drive is another way to ease that burden for families.
"We all struggle and especially right now, and the basic necessities of a coat shouldn't ever, you shouldn't even have to feel any type of shame or embarrassment to ask for that," Coupe said.
For Coupe, the magic comes from knowing who these coats will comfort.
"It makes me feel like I have a purpose. You know, these little teeny tiny jackets are gonna be filled, which makes you feel good," Coupe said.
Donations of girls’ boots in sizes one and four are still needed. The coat drive will be held on Tuesday at the El-Ada location in Mountain Home, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
