Provide warmth for deserving children during cold winter months.

Charity History

In 2009, the Knights of Columbus launched the Coats for Kids program to help children in need who live in colder climates. That year, in time for the winter season, it provided local councils with new coats for distribution to underprivileged children in Washington, D.C., Detroit and Chicago. In 2010, participation grew, with over 100 councils personally purchasing and handing out more than 3,000 coats to kids in their communities.

Since the program launched, coats have been distributed in all 50 U.S. states and all 10 Canadian provinces - including on U.S. military bases and Native American and First Nation reservations in the U.S. and Canada.

In 2023, the Knights crossed a significant milestone in the program’s history with the one-millionth donation of a new coat to a child in need.