Members of Branch 9 of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) this year collected 125 coats and $4,300 in cash to support the “Warm Hands Warm Hearts” coat drive of Person to Person, a nearby nonprofit assisting needy families.

“We’re out there every day. We see the need,” said Lenny Larson, Branch 9 president.

“They approached us. They mentioned letter carriers know what it’s like to be cold,” said Leila Erlandson, Person to Person executive director.

Larson said the Lost Lake Station near Hwy. 169 and Bass Lake Rd. has also “adopted” three families for Christmas to provide needed support.

For more information about Person to Person, visit www.ptop.org.

Steve Share edits the Minneapolis Labor Review, where this article originally appeared.