Published 2008-12-03T00:00:00Z”/>

Katherine Jarvis

While November may have been unseasonably warm at times, that doesn’t mean the rest of fall and winter won’t result in chattering teeth and red noses.

When it gets cold, the people involved in Community Action Volunteers in Education’s Coats for Kids service project hope to keep those who need coats warm.

This is the first year CAVE has taken part in the drive, which is coordinated with the Chico Fire Department and United Way, which have organized the project in the past, said sophomore Deanna Voss, Coats for Kids public relations chair.

Every year CAVE staff members must do a mandatory service project, Voss said. In previous years, the project has been only daylong versus the monthlong Coats for Kids drive.

CAVE students hope to get 2,008 coats donated by Friday, she said. They have had a full bin of coats since the drive started Nov. 3 during tabling in Bell Memorial Union. If the project is successful they are likely to do it again next year.

“It’s a great way to serve the community and make sure everyone that needs coats gets them,” she said.

But some people may not be able to give coats this year because of the economy, said psychology professor Dan Worthen. They may not have the money to buy new coats so they can’t give their old coats away.

However, tough economic times can also lead to more charitable giving in the future when the economy is better, Worthen said. People want to give to those who are in similar economic times to what they were in.

If there are a lot of people giving to the drive, others could be influenced by their generosity and give coats and money themselves, he said.

“I think drives like that will do pretty well if there’s a perception that there’s a minimal amount of giving and if a lot of people are doing it,” Worthen said.

Senior Ashly Vicini, the student head of the project, doesn’t think the drive will be largely affected by the economy because people don’t have to donate money, just coats, she said.

“This is a good opportunity for people to get rid of coats that are just sitting in closets,” she said.

If people want to give to the drive but don’t have any gently used coats to give away, they can also give money, which will be used to buy coats, Vicini said.

Once all the coats are collected by CAVE, they will be distributed for free in a “store” from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday in BMU Room 314, Vicini said. There will also be distribution at the Salvation Army on 16th Street through the fire department and United Way.

Katherine Jarvis can be reached at <a href= “mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a>