Welcome to David’s coat room

It was a random Facebook post that got Kim Blumenstein thinking about her last Christmas with her dad, David Gresham, in 1993.

Kim was a college student and one of her friends came to visit during the holiday break. The friend did not have winter-appropriate attire to wear. Kim’s dad took her aside and insisted she and her mom go out and buy the friend a proper coat. And, she did.

So, when she saw a post requesting warm hats and gloves or mittens for kids to wear while walking to school, it reminded her of that Christmas season 25 years ago.

“I knew from helping at Klager that there are a lot of kids who have inadequate or no coats at all,” Kim says. “My dad was all about taking care of people and this post just helped me remember that time and how it felt to be able to give my friend a warm coat when it was needed.”

Coming up with a way to give gently-used coats, mittens, gloves, scarves, and boots to children and adults in need seemed like a good way to honor her dad’s life and his legacy of caring. “My dad accepted people. He would give anyone the shirt off his back,” she says. “It’s been almost 25 years since he died. It just seems like the right time to start my own process of giving back, right here in Manchester. This is our home; it’s going to be our home. So this is where I’m getting started.”

She sat down, researched the topic, and educated herself in the steps to establish a charitable organization. She’s still in the early stages of getting the charity set up as a 501(c)3, but she is already collecting enough coats that “I know I need to get a coat rack.” She has set up an Amazon wish list, as well as a Facebook page (davidscoatroom), and an email account (davidscoatroom@gmail.com) so she can coordinate requests as well as donations. She’s already fulfilled two requests from the Community Resource Center and purchased a new coat for a single mom with a young child.

“I hope that by getting the word out, I can get people to consider donating to us when they have an unused coat that needs a new home,” she said. “I’m going to work with contacts in the school … counselors, principals, and secretaries … to let me know the kids who are most in need.”

In The Book of Simple Human Truths, Molly Friedenfeld says, “Having a vested interest in other souls unconditionally creates a ripple effect that produces miracles in the lives of those around us.” Who knows what miracles may happen in Manchester with the ripple effect of David’s Coat Room? The ripples will certainly widen as they reach outward … and each donation has the effect of creating new ripples.

Kim’s parents, David and Louise Gresham. David was a 20-year Navy veteran, who was only 50 when he passed away in 1994.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.