Paul Sweeney Memorial Coat Drive Seeks Donations
ST. JOHNSBURY, VT (October 15, 2024) – Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) is excited to announce that the drop-off locations for the annual Paul Sweeney Memorial Coat Drive are now accepting donations of the following: (new and/or clean, gently used) coats, hats, gloves, boots, blankets and children’s winter outwear.
The Paul Sweeney Memorial Coat Drive will be at the Good Shepherd Catholic School (121 Maple Street) on November 16, 9 a.m. – Noon. Residents may donate items up until November 14 at the following drop-off locations:
- NVRH Main Hospital Lobby, 1315 Hospital Dr., Johnsbury
- Kingdom Internal Medicine, 714 Breezy Hill Rd., St. Johnsbury
- Corner Medical, 195 Industrial Parkway, Lyndon
- Dan Wyand Physical Therapy, 97 Sherman Dr., St. Johnsbury
- Northern Physical Therapy, 569 Main St., Lyndonville
- Passumpsic Bank, St. Johnsbury, Lyndonville & Danville locations
- Community National Bank, St. Johnsbury & Lyndonville locations
“Working closely with our long-standing partners, Passumpsic Bank and Community National Bank, along with the many volunteers who give their time for this event, we have had the honor of providing warm clothing for our community because of the generosity of our community,” NVRH Vice President of Marketing and Community Health Improvement Diana Gibbs said. “The volume of donations received year after year is just incredible, and telling of the culture that exists right here in the Northeast Kingdom.”
The coat drive was started over 20 years ago. As Senior Energy Use Advisor, Paul Sweeney’s duties included home visits where he would suggest ways to make homes more energy efficient. In November 2003, Rev. Jay Sprout and Sweeney organized the first coat drive in memory of Sandy Broughton, a woman who organized previous coat drives and passed away that year from cancer. Coats were collected and distributed (with the help of the Salvation Army) to people in need in the Northeast Kingdom. Two months later, Paul Sweeney passed away at the age of 50, and the following year the coat drive was renamed in Paul’s honor.
“I’m so happy my husband Paul’s legacy lives on,” Phyllis Kehley Sweeney said. “He would be very pleased to know his name is still associated with the coat drive and keeping our neighbors warm over our long, cold winters.”
Today, Sweeney’s daughter, Amanda Sweeney, and her mother, Phyllis continue to support the coat drive in Sweeney’s memory. Together with community partners, the event provides hundreds of warm-weather items to residents before winter sets in.