Medina PD, YMCA join to collect 75 coats and other winter clothing

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Sharon Breckenridge, a longtime volunteer at MAAC’s Thrift Depot, accepts a box of winter clothing collected by Medina Police Department and Orleans County YMCA.

MEDINA – Personnel from the Medina Police Department and Orleans County YMCA recently came up with the idea to join their forces and collect warm clothing for people in need during the cold winter season.

Medina police officer Brandon Brown is a cousin of YMCA director Andrew Houseman’s fiancée, and the two are friends. They recently thought it would be nice for the two organizations to build a partnership with each other to help the community, Houseman said. They began by holding a food drive, but with the cold weather this winter, Houseman said they decided to collect warm clothing through December.

On Monday morning, Brown and Houseman collected the more than 75 coats, hats, mittens and scarves which had been donated to their two agencies.

“The first day we posted the drive on Facebook, someone came in with a large bag full of hats, scarves and gloves,” Brown said. “It is nice to have a place like the Y where people could drop off their donations. It’s a great goal to have to help people in this cold weather. I remember as a kid how I liked to play in the snow, and hopefully these clothes will help keep those kids warm who want to play in the snow, but don’t have warm clothing.”

At the MAAC Thrift Depot, Sue Metzo, president of MAAC, said they were thankful for the donations.

“What we don’t use, we help other agencies with,” she said. “Our winter stuff goes fast.”

Houseman said this is the first year for the clothing drive between the YMCA and Police Department, but they plan to make it an annual event.

Medina police officer Brandon Brown and YMCA director Andrew Houseman stand next to a box of warm clothing they have collected for MAAC’s Thrift Depot on Starr Street.