He’s Up to Armpits in Coats for the Poor

A dry cleaner who offered to clean used coats and distribute them to the needy said Friday that he was overwhelmed by the response.

“We’re just going to work more hours than we thought we would,” said Paul Kramer, owner of City Laundry & Dry Cleaning Co. in Findlay, a city of 35,000 people. “We’re going to go into three shifts to clean these coats for Christmas.”

Kramer said his business began advertising for coat donations about two weeks ago. He had expected 500 coats but by Friday had at least 5,000.

“The vast majority of them are in excellent shape,” he said. “We have some brand new coats, some fur coats.”

Kramer said his company would donate the cleaning supplies and facilities, and some of his 82 employees had volunteered their time. He would not estimate the dollar value of his firm’s donation.

“The real thing that’s happened here is not what it’s cost us . . . . We’ve had people come in here with tears in their eyes,” he said. The collection drive ends today.

Kramer said charitable groups had offered to distribute coats and two school gymnasiums had been donated to display and distribute the coats on Dec. 12 and 13.