Children's Haven receives coat donation to aid those in need

JOPLIN, Mo. — More than 100 local kids will stay warm this winter thanks to the generosity of a local car dealership.

Frank Fletcher Subaru of Joplin, Subaru Loves to Help, and Operation Warmth helped make the coat donation possible for "Children's Haven" in Joplin today.

Subaru held the coat drive - even offering a service and parts discount to any customers that helped donate.

The coats will go to children staying at the facility, as well as any other local children's agencies that reach out to "Children's Haven" in need of a coat for a child.

"We would be out at work in the community asking everybody, 'Hey, how's your kid outgrown a coat,' that kind of thing. And we don't have to do that because we've got so many coats that have come in today from Subaru. We're really thankful for them," said Stephanie Theis, Children's Haven executive director.

"Community work for us is very important. We love to get involved with our community. Subaru's really big on that. But this is near and dear to me personally because I grew up in an unstable home. How to be provided free clothing from the church and food from the church when I was growing up. So I didn't have this. So the fact that I'm involved in something like this is amazing," said Samantha Jubala, Frank Fletcher Subaru encore manager.

Children's Haven has been providing a safe place for children when their families are in crisis since 2003.

More than 8,000 children have come through its doors since then.