RICHMOND, Va. — Inside the bustling backroom of Puritan Cleaners on Staples Mill Road, the steady hum of machines and the hiss of steam fill the air and so does the feeling of kindness.
For decades, this Richmond staple has turned donated winter coats into gifts of comfort for children and adults across Central Virginia through its annual “Coats for Kids” campaign.
This year’s kickoff came with an extra layer of meaning when Ken Sandy, a successful business owner from Washington, D.C., came back home; not to drop off a coat, but to say thank you.
“I’m a native of Richmond,” Sandy said. “My good friend Sara here at Puritan Cleaners does a lot of the same work that we do up in the D.C. area — community and clothing drives, call-to-action events, gently used clothing, all of it.”
Sandy co-owns DRYY Garment Care, an eco-friendly, on-demand cleaning company that’s made giving back part of its brand.
“They’re just a real example; a real benchmark on humanity,” Sandy said of Puritan. “We’ve rolled out similar movements in D.C., and it’s all inspired by our good friends here at Puritan.”
But before he became a community-minded entrepreneur, Sandy was once a little boy in Chesterfield County in need of a warm coat.
“My story starts a little different,” he said. “In the ’80s, I was on the other side of the story. I was a coat recipient ... I received a coat from Puritan Cleaners, and they were very humble times for my family. The reason it's so full circle is that fast forward, I'm now a co-owner in a dry cleaning solution where we launch some of the largest in the region clothing giveback platforms. I just think that what that speaks to is that when the community invests in people, those people at some point reinvest.”
He still remembers the moment — standing inside a Boys and Girls Club on Broad Street — picking out a red puffer coat that made him feel like the "coolest kid with a 'K'" in class.
“That coat was dipped in love,” he said. “I didn’t just feel warm — I felt special that people were so selfless they’d repurpose things for those in need."
More than 40 years later, Sandy’s return to Puritan turned into a heartwarming reunion. He met Linda Hence, a longtime Puritan employee who likely handled that very coat when it came through the cleaners decades ago.
“Hey girl, give me a hug,” Sandy said as he greeted her. “I understand you were here back when I was a coat recipient. I’d argue you probably cleaned my coat that gave me all that warmth and love.”
“Yes,” Linda laughed. “The buttons and zippers!”
“It was pristine — had Linda love all over it,” Sandy replied.
Hence, who has been part of the Puritan family for 44 years.
Their hug, all these years later, became a powerful reminder that the warmth you give away often finds its way back.
“It makes it rich, it makes it warm, it makes it fuzzy,” Sandy said. “It makes it whole. It’s food for the soul — it feeds the appetite.”
Each year, Puritan Cleaners collects thousands of new and gently used coats for local children in partnership with the Salvation Army.
Sara Moncrieff, Marketing Director for Puritan, says the real magic lies in the community’s generosity.
“We are just the people in the middle,” Moncrieff said. “We get to see our neighbors, our friends, and colleagues donate coats that go on to a person who needs them.”
Sandy hopes his story encourages others to look through their closets and give with purpose.
“What you don’t wear anymore — or what you’re ready to throw away — could be a treasure for someone else,” he said. “The repurposing of those things goes a long way.”
This winter, Puritan Cleaners is once again calling on the community to zip up generosity — to help stuff trucks, fill coat racks, and warm hearts across Central Virginia.
“A coat can do all of that,” Sandy said with a smile. “It did it for me. Coats for Kids.”
Want to help?
Drop off new or gently used coats at any Puritan Cleaners location through the winter season.
You can also join Puritan Cleaners, the Flying Squirrels and CBS 6 on Saturday, November 8 from 11am to 1pm for the Ballpark Warming Party 2025 at the Diamond. Enjoy music, hot dogs, bounce houses, and more... all while helping kids stay warm this winter.
Learn more about donation locations and upcoming distribution events at puritancleaners.com/coats-for-kids.
Local News
Coats for Kids: Ballpark Warming Party at the Diamond is Saturday
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