Dubuque dry cleaner collects and donates hundreds of items for homeless shelter

DUBUQUE - Homeless people in Dubuque are getting some relief from the bitterly cold weather.

Just in time for a winter that doesn't seem to want to quit.

That's because a business collected and donated hundreds of coats and warm clothes to the Dubuque Rescue Mission.

For decades, Mike Hagar has been cleaning the clothes of the community. A few months ago, the second generation owner of Fashion Touch Dry Cleaners decided to do something to give back.

'It was just kind of an off the cuff thing and people just kind of came out of the woodwork,” Hagar said.

In November, Hagar started collecting warm clothes for the homeless. He dry cleaned each and every item.

'What we were focusing on was keeping people warm. So, blankets, hats, gloves, scarves, coats and snow pants,” said Hagar.

On Friday he packed them all up and delivered them to the Dubuque Rescue Mission.

Dubuque Rescue Mission Thrift Shop Manager Amy Gerhard said: 'Today, I think it was 19 below, so we have men, women and children who are in need of these winter coats.”

Among the piles of coats and blankets, people also donated business clothes. Items shelter residents could wear for job interviews. Hagar and his staff professionally pressed each item.

'When things came in, if they had holes we repaired them. If the zipper was broken we fixed them. '

'We will let the residents that live here go through them first and find a coat and a shirt and a pair of pants,” said Gerhard. 'This is like totally what the Mission needs right now is some of the winter jackets.”