‘Wall of Warmth’ adds more locations as organizers hope to collect over 8,000 coats for people in need

IDAHO FALLS — The ‘Wall of Warmth’ is back for its seventh year and ready to help community members in need as the cold winter months are quickly approaching.

Coats will be hung on fences throughout east Idaho in an effort to provide warmth to as many people as possible this winter. Local real estate agent Valorie Blanchard started the coat drive in 2017 where she helped provide about 600 coats to the community. This year, the goal is to collect and give away over 8,000 coats to eastern Idahoans.

“It’s been beyond my wildest dreams how its grown and been able to affect people that are in need,” Blanchard told EastIdahoNews.com.

Blanchard said in Sweden people take coats and tie them around trees and in other countries, they do a wall of giving where if you want something, you take it and if you have something to give, you put it on the wall. She decided to combined the two ideas and do a Wall of Warmth with “all things to stay warm during the winter here.”

“We had no idea how it was going to go (the first year) and in the back of your mind, you always wonder, ‘Maybe nobody needs coats here,'” Blanchard said. “But it went huge, which was really cool. It’s picked up and grown from there.”

Community members are invited to donate clean, gently used coats or other outdoor gear such as snow pants, hats, gloves and scarves between October 10 to November 22. Items can be dropped off at any one of the 62 designated drop-off boxes scattered throughout east Idaho. For more information on drop-off locations click here.

All Wall of Warmth locations will run from November 14 to November 25. Individuals and families in need can pickup free coats during this time. Wall locations can be found here.

The Hall Foundation, a local non-profit organization that works with employees to lift the communities where they work and live, teamed up with Blanchard, and she said that’s allowed the initiative to grow even more. They’ve expanded their reach by adding new Wall of Warmth locations this year in Idaho Falls, Pocatello, St. Anthony and Preston.

“You always get those people who say, ‘Oh, people are going to steal the coats and resell them.’ That’s okay. It’s not on me if they do that. I’m here to provide not police,” Blanchard explained. “I love it when I see families (give and take though) because it teaches them the values of giving.”

Employees from Brad Hall Companies will organize and display the donated coats on the Wall of Warmth fences and local volunteers from JustServe will help maintain the Wall of Warmth locations.

Blanchard wants the community to know how thankful she is for their help in making this coat drive possible.

“We have so many in the community that call and say ‘Hey, I want to help. How can we help? How can we volunteer?’ We’ve had so many people jump in and want to be part of this. It’s awesome,” she mentioned. “We welcome anybody that wants to be part of it. … It’s so touching to me that all the community has gotten behind this and loves it.”

Wall of Warmth locations:

• PRESTON: To be determined
• POCATELLO: Lewis & Clark Elementary and Alameda Middles School fence (Alameda Road)
• POCATELLO: 151 N 4th Avenue (in the Streamline Chiropractic parking lot)
• BLACKFOOT: North Meridian Street (directly across from C-A-L Ranch Store)
• SHELLEY: Dean Goodsell Elementary School Fence (185 W Center St off HWY 91)
• IDAHO FALLS: Lincoln Road (west of Action Motor Sports)
• IDAHO FALLS: Civitan Park 900 W. Elva/Riverside Drive (one block North of Idaho Falls Temple)
• RIGBY: Rigby South Park (around rodeo grounds)
• REXBURG: 1218 Bond Ave (behind Just for Kids Urgent Care)
• ST. ANTHONY: 247 East 4th North (St. Anthony Stake Center fence)
• DRIGGS: 445 North Main Street

If you would like to help out by donating a coat or other outdoor gear, the drop off locations include:

• POCATELLO: Just 4 Kids Urgent Care, Lowes, Streamline Chiropractic, Good 2 Go Convenience Store, University Bible Church, Grace Lutheran School, Portneuf District Library, Indian Hills Elementary School, Alberton’s, and C-A-L Ranch Store, HUX Custom Gun Shop, Teton Honda, Alliance Title & Escrow
• BLACKFOOT: Bingham Healthcare ER, Tadd Jenkins Dodge, C-A-L Ranch Stores, Good 2 Go, Bingham Ag Main Store, Bingham Ag C-Store, Bingham Ag Farm Store, Alliance Title & Escrow
• SHELLEY: Good 2 Go Convenience Store, Broulim’s
• IDAHO FALLS: Action Motor Sports, C-A-L Ranch Stores, Broulim’s, Good 2 Go Convenience Stores, Just 4 Kids Urgent Care, Brad Hall Companies, Albertson’s West Side, Austin Kade Academy, Alliance Title & Escrow
• UCON:Good 2 Go Convenience Store
• RIGBY:Tadd Jenkins Chevrolet, Good 2 Go Convenience Stores, Broulim’s, Speedy CPS, Scotty’s True Value, Alliance Title & Escrow, Local Churches
• REXBURG: Just 4 Kids Urgent Care, Idaho’s Real Estate, City of Rexburg, C-A-L Ranch Store, Good 2 Go Convenience Store, Broulims, and Valley Wide Country Store, Alliance Title & Escrow
• ST. ANTHONY: Broulim’s, South Freemont High School, St. Anthony Stake Center, RJ’s Exxon
• DRIGGS: Broulim’s, Tetonia City Building, City of Victor City hall, Tetonia City Building, Alliance Title & Escrow