Media Advisory

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL, 5 CARES COAT DRIVE COLLECTING COATS FOR NEIGHBORS IN NEED

Cintas Donates 1,000 New Coats To Kick-Off Effort;
Donatos Pizza, Gold Star Chili Serve as New Collection Sites;
City Dash To Pick-up

CINCINNATI, OH – October 19, 2006 – The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and WLWT Channel 5 are conducting the 6th annual 5 Cares Coat Drive Monday, October 23 through November 24, 2006, presented by Cintas Corporation. Greater Cincinnati residents are being asked to donate new or gently-used coats by taking them to participating fire departments, area Donatos Pizza and participating Gold Star Chili locations – with the goal of collecting a total of 4,000 coats. St. Vincent de Paul will distribute the coats to those in need locally throughout the fall.

For the fifth year, Cintas will donate 1,000 new coats valued at more than $45,000 to jump-start the collection. City Dash will support the effort by providing pick-up and delivery service. "With the generous support of residents and our corporate partners, we hope to collect more than 4,000 coats to help our neighbors in need stay warm this winter," said Liz Carter, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul.
In 2005, 4,215 coats were donated by the community to the 5 Cares Coat Drive -- many of them brand new. As in past years, St. Vincent de Paul will supply coats to their own clients, as well as to other agencies that also work directly with those in need. There continues to be a greater need for children's coats.

"Cintas is proud to be sponsoring the St. Vincent de Paul 5 Cares Coat Drive again this year. This program is well-recognized for the impact it has on our local community, and we encourage everyone to get involved by donating a coat,” said Mike Wallner, Cintas public relations manager.

This project is made possible by the firefighters and others who collect the coats, volunteers who transport, sort and distribute the coats, and of course, the generosity of area residents.
Participating fire departments include Anderson, Colerain, Deerfield, Green, Whitewater and Springfield Townships, Harrison, Hamilton, Forest Park, Milford, Blue Ash, Montgomery, Sharonville, Springdale, Fairfax-Madison Place, Loveland, Mariemont, Mt. Healthy, Mason and Little Miami. In Northern Kentucky, the Florence, Hebron, Alexandria, Newport, Ft. Thomas and Covington Fire Departments will accept donated coats. All Greater Cincinnati Donatos Pizza and participating Gold Star Chili locations will also have barrels to collect coats.
A complete list of all participating coat collection sites is available on the WLWT Channel 5 web site at HYPERLINK "http://www.channelcincinnati.com/" www.channelcincinnati.com and on the St. Vincent de Paul web site at HYPERLINK "http://www.svdpcincinnati.org/" www.svdpcincinnati.org. For more information about donating or helping with the drive, please call St. Vincent de Paul at 513-562-8841, ext. #26, or to learn how to receive a coat, call 421-0602.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) has been helping Greater Cincinnati and Hamilton County residents in need with the basic necessities of life for more than 135 years. The organization works personally with those in need, regardless of race or creed, to bridge the spiritual, emotional and financial gaps in their lives through neighborhood-based volunteer groups. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was named ‘2005 Non-Profit of the Year’ by The CincinnatiUSA Regional Chamber of Commerce. For more information, go to HYPERLINK http://www.svdpcincinnati.org www.svdpcincinnati.org.\
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