Scarves in the Park returns to Monongahela

By ERIC SEIVERLING

eseiverling@yourmvi.com

Signs that the holidays are upon us are everywhere: A chill is in the air, Christmas decorations light up the night and scarves and other winter accessories hang from the trees in Monongahela.

Now in its fourth year, the city’s annual Scarves in the Park donation project began Saturday when organizers decorated Chess Park’s gazebo with scarves, gloves, hats and coats with the hopes that the outerwear will be taken, free of charge, by residents who can’t afford cold-weather gear.

Residents who want to donate coats and other gear can drop off the items at the gazebo, where the project will continue until at least early spring.

“It’s just free coats, hats, scarves, I’ll take whatever people want to donate,” said New Eagle resident Corrina Withrow, who is organizing the project with the help of assistant Sarah O’Brien. “They sit there and people take what they need. We had a really mild winter last year, so we pulled the coats early. Normally, everything sits there until March.”

The project was originally started by Monongahela resident Kim Velmer, who wanted to honor her mother, Norma Dennis.

When Velmer stepped aside for personal reasons, Withrow took over the project.

“If I didn’t, it was going to fold and I think this is important,” she said. “It’s important because we have a lot of families in need because 2020 has been hard on everybody. A lot of times it’s embarrassing for people to ask for help.”

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