Illinois Small Loan Association to Collect Clothing for the Needy

CHICAGO (Reuters)— The Illinois Small Loan Association (ISLA) will kick off its Annual Winter Coat Drive beginning this Friday and will continue through December. Member stores across the Chicagoland area will be collecting coats and winter apparel for later distribution to local charities. The coat drive will continue through New Years Day. Stores taking part in this charitable endeavor are located in the Chicago Metro area and several downstate Illinois communities. Each store will have a box located just inside the main entrance for donations. "ISLA members are committed to the communities they are in. They desire to have a vibrant community as much as everyone does. However, in these tough times, ISLA members realize that not everyone is fortunate enough to have even the basic necessities, so they hope this coat drive can help fill an important community need," said Bob Wolfberg, president of ISLA. This year marks the fifth year for the ISLA Coat Drive. Over the past years, thousands of coats have been donated to charity. The Illinois Small Loan Association is the organization that represents hundreds of payday loan stores and their four thousand employees across the state of Illinois. The association is dedicated to working with charitable causes and hosts other charitable endeavors, including an annual scholarship and consumer education initiatives.