Did you know that nearly 250,000 people in our region live below the poverty line? Nearly 1/3rd of all students qualify for Free and Reduced Meals in Montgomery County Public Schools? With one of the highest costs of living in the country, money spent on food, rent and transportation leaves many families with little left over.
For too many people in our community, rain is nothing to sing or dance about. They lack a seasonally appropriate warm coat to protect them from wind, rain and snow. In the spirit of the holiday season, Olney Theatre Center is partnering with One Warm Coat to organize a coat drive during the run of Singin’ In The Rain. All sizes of new or gently used warm coats will be collected and distributed by Interfaith Works to those in need.
“We are keenly aware that at this time of year, when we gather to celebrate with family and friends to enjoy a show, there are others who battle every day just to get by,” says Joshua Ford, Director of Marketing and Communications for Olney Theatre. “Our audiences are extremely generous, and we’ve had great success in the past with canned food drives to benefit local food banks, pajama drives to benefit Comfort Cases, and this past summer’s book drive during Matilda to benefit the Maryland Book Bank and Velocity of Books. We are expecting that our audience will react with empathy and generosity to this latest effort.”
Please bring all sizes of new or gently used warm coats to the Historic Lobby near the box office when you come to Singin' in the Rain or during Box Office hours (Wed. - Sun. 12pm - 6pm).
