Around The Cracker Barrel - Warmth from the Heart: Coats, Kindness, and Community (Aired 10/17/2025)

On this week’s Around the Cracker Barrel, Guy Atchley welcomed Gail Creamer, founder of Warmth from the Heart, along with Jill Leach and Julie Reppenhagen of the Green Valley Rotary Club, to share the inspiring story behind this annual jacket drive that brings warmth and compassion to the Amado and Green Valley communities. The effort began in 2017, when Creamer, then owner of the Ranch Beauty Shop in Amado, noticed a need for winter clothing in the area. What started as a modest goal to collect 100 jackets quickly blossomed into an annual tradition distributing hundreds—and now thousands—of coats to families in need.Over the years, the project has expanded through the teamwork of three Rotary Clubs — Green Valley, Valle Verde, and Tubac — coordinating donations, organizing collection bins, and transforming Sopori Elementary School into a makeshift “store” where families can come in, try on, and select their own jackets. Donations are accepted at multiple drop-off locations including GVR Centers, La Posada Community Center, Green Valley Council, Trends Consignment Boutique, Santa Rita Fire District Stations, and Quail Creek. Volunteers from across the region pitch in to sort, set up, and distribute the items, creating an atmosphere of warmth, dignity, and community spirit.This year’s giveaway takes place Saturday, November 8th from 8 a.m. to noon at Sopori Elementary School in Amado. Families of all ages are welcome, with a particular emphasis on providing coats for children. Leftover jackets are donated to St. Andrew’s Clinic in Nogales and distributed by local pastors to families in need throughout southern Arizona and northern Mexico. Organizers also encourage donations of gloves this year to keep little hands warm through the chilly mornings.Heartwarming stories from past drives highlight the true impact of the effort — from a young boy beaming with pride in his new Spider-Man jacket to a woman finding an unexpected $10 bill in her coat pocket and crying tears of gratitude. Warmth from the Heart stands as a shining example of how a small act of kindness can grow into a lasting community tradition, ensuring that every winter, local families stay warm—both inside and out.