Anyone in need can go to the service and pick out a clean coat or other winter apparel. All adults who want a coat must bring a government-issued ID. Each child and adult may have one coat every other year. 

Trevor Sutton, associate pastor of the church, said the purpose and goal of the service is to show love for their neighbors. 

“What I mean by love our neighbors is to provide for their most basic needs of warmth during the winter months. There's no more tangible way to show love for somebody else than providing a coat to them so they have what they need to either go to school or go to work or travel around during winter months,” Sutton said. 

All the coats are obtained via donations, according to Sutton.

“What we do is we ask people in our congregation, we'll ask people at the schools or offices and different places like that,” Sutton said. “We ask for lightly-used coats that are in good condition, but maybe something that you're not wearing anymore or that you haven't worn in a year or two.”

Some people buy brand-new coats and donate them to the coat bank. Other accessories like snow pants, pants, scarves, gloves and boots are available in a limited number.

The bank has given away more than 7,500 winter coats to individuals in the Lansing area, according to its flyer. Volunteers are needed to gather, wash and organize the coats before the distribution and to help patrons. 

Cindy Loeffert, a member of the church, talked about how volunteering at the coat bank impacts her life and the community. 

“It services a lot of people who are in need that don't have coats,” Loeffert said. “A lot of the homeless people or a lot of community people that need coats that just don't have the resources to get them."

“As far as me, myself, it gives me a lot of joy to see the smile on people's faces that come through the coat bank, that are very thankful that we are open and that we are there to give them what they wouldn't otherwise have access to,” Loeffert said. 

Loeffert has heard personal feedback from clients at the service. 

“It's interesting when they come through there that they talk to us about what it means to them to be able to come in there and get a warm coat or a hat or gloves or boots that they wouldn't be able to afford,” Loeffert said. “ So it's given, not just me but other volunteers have talked about how it's made an impact on our lives to be able to help others in need that wouldn't have that service available.”

The bank has held two distributions so far this year. Sutton said when people realize winter's coming and they need coats, that's when the demand is highest.

“The coats are vitally important, but hopefully our greatest impact is that people know that they are valued and loved and important to us and that coat shows them that we love them with the love of Jesus,” Sutton said. 

The church is always looking for donations and volunteers, according to Loeffert.

“We would love for anyone who would like to donate coats at the end of the winter, we take them all year long,” Loeffert said. “We would love donations because we always run out.”

The coat bank service lasts from Oct. 13 to Jan. 10.