In November of 2015, Linda Keys was driving by a bus stop in the early morning. She noticed five children standing in the cold with no coats on, prompting her to ask why they weren’t wearing a coat on. One replied that he did not have a coat.
Keys decided to wait for the bus to arrive with the children as they piled into her car to get away from the cold. After the boys got on the bus, she felt that she had to do something more. She went to Walmart, bought five coats, and brought them to the children at the bus stop the very next morning. Reflecting on the difference she made in these children’s lives with one act of kindness, brought upon a vision Keys felt needed to be done.
“God has you where you are for a reason. In my spirit, I knew I had to do something for them, and after I did, I realized these are not the only children in Mississippi standing at a bus stop without a coat,” Keys said.
Keys was born in Mississippi but moved to Illinois after high school. Forty-three years later as she returned to take care of her mother, she did not realize the poverty level that sadly exists around the state. After doing her homework and driving around Quinton County and its surrounding areas, Keys started “Mississippi Coats 4 Kidz,” an organization dedicated to serving Mississippi’s poverty stricken children and providing them coats for the winter.
Keys ran the organization on her own last year and has since expanded to six counties in Mississippi in just her second year. The counties include Tunica, Panola, Quitman, Coahoma, Tate and Lafayette. While six is a good start, Keys doesn’t intend to slow down until her goal is reached.
“We want to cover all 82 counties across the state because there are needy children everywhere,” Keys said.
With a compiled list of over 1,500 children in these six counties, coats donated will be brought to schools, churches and other locations where children can receive coats.
“The kids are happy, and that’s what makes us happy. We will go wherever we are needed,” Keys said.
Donations can be made year round, but donations will be taken around Oxford until November 8. “Mississippi Coats 4 Kidz” has partnered with United Way here in Oxford to set up drop-off locations including the Newk’s on University Ave. and Chili’s on Jackson Ave. In addition to the donation box, Chili’s will also donate a percentage of their profits on November 8 to “Coats 4 Kidz,” and is giving free chips and salsa to anyone who drops off a coat. Cash donations can also be made if you do not have a coat to donate. T-Shirts are available on the Mississippi Coats 4 Kidz website for $20, and every shirt purchased puts a coat on a child in need.
For more information and ways to get involved visit misssissippicoats4kidz.org.
To Contact Linda Keys, you can send her an email at mscoats4kidz@gmail.com or call at 314-749-6011.
Steven Gagliano is a writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com.
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