Community Hoodie Drive Supports Local High School Students This December

A community hoodie drive launched on December 1 and will continue through December 31 to collect new and gently used hoodies for high school students in need. Organizers say teenagers are often overlooked in holiday clothing drives, and because many prefer hoodies to coats, the collection focuses on those items and on gift cards that can be used to purchase hoodies. Kendall Auto dealerships joined the effort to expand convenient drop off access across Eugene.

Donations of gift cards may be dropped off or mailed to the Eugene Police Department Community Engagement Team Supervisor Cherie Nelson at 300 Country Club Road, Eugene, Oregon 97401. The drive cannot accept cash, check or credit card donations. For questions donors can contact Community Engagement Team Supervisor Cherie Nelson at 541.682.2746. Local school districts will handle distribution and will allow high school age teens to pick the hoodies they are comfortable wearing.

Residents can drop off new hoodies at the following locations in Eugene. Kendall Toyota at 373 Goodpasture Island Road, Kendall Lexus at 330 Goodpasture Island Road, Kendall Ford at 344 Goodpasture Island Road, Kendall Subaru at 388 Goodpasture Island Road, Kendall Chevy at 846 Goodpasture Island Road, and the Kendall Value Lot at 20 Coburg Road. Eugene Police Department headquarters at 300 Country Club Road and the EPD Downtown Station at 960 Olive are also accepting donations.

The drive aims to reduce winter clothing gaps that can affect students ability to attend school and participate fully in classroom and extracurricular activities. By focusing on hoodies and gift cards, the effort targets the clothing choices many teens prefer and preserves dignity by allowing recipients to select styles that fit. For families facing tight budgets this season, donated gift cards provide a financial pathway to obtain warm clothing without needing to handle cash or personal shopping.

The collection operates through the end of December, and community members are encouraged to clean out closets for gently used items or purchase new hoodies for donation. The expanded set of drop off points, including multiple Kendall locations and Eugene Police stations, seeks to make contributions easy for residents across Lane County.