Unwanted fur coats have been sent to Ukraine to help people stay warm during the winter, instead of being destroyed.
Vintage clothing seller Glass Onion, based in Barnsley, is working with a charity to send coats to people who need them instead of throwing them away.
“The coats are no longer in style, but they are being used to help people,” explained Alice Leadbetter from the company. The fur coats were very helpful, said Rev Bernard Cocker, who started the International Aid Trust charity.
Over 600 coats were sent to places near Kyiv and given to people and refugees in the Donbas region.
Ms Leadbetter talked to the BBC and said, “We found out about International Aid Trust from Peta. They needed donations to help people hurt by the war in Ukraine. ”
“We can’t take back the mean things done to make these coats, but we can recycle them to help the people who need them the most. ”
Mr Cocker has been working in Ukraine since 1991. He said he met many people who lost everything, not even having a knife or fork.
“When it gets really cold in winter, like -30C (-22F), and people don’t have warm clothes or wood for fires, these fur coats help them stay alive,” he said.
“What was going to be ruined is now helping to keep people alive. It’s as simple as that. ”
He said that when the coats are given to people, their eyes sparkle with happiness.
“He said people are starting to like the coats that were on the animals’ backs. ”
“It’s a lot better than breaking them. “
Date:
Vintage fur coats from Barnsley donated and sent to war-torn Ukraine
