Clothes4Souls, a division of the international anti-poverty nonprofit Soles4Souls Inc., has announced a fall coat and boot drive in partnership with Gander Mountain, the nation’s largest retail network of outdoor specialty stores for hunting, fishing, camping, marine and outdoor lifestyle products. All Gander Mountain retail stores will collect gently used coats and boots November 15-27.

Gander Mountain stores will reward customers who donate their old coats or boots with a gift card in exchange for purchases of new coats, boots and cold weather accessories. Please see your local Gander Mountain store for details.

“Gander Mountain is happy to once again partner with Soles4Souls and Clothes4Souls in the important work they do, supplying shoes and coats to those in need,” said Steve Uline, Gander Mountain’s executive vice president of marketing. “With colder weather on the way, this is the perfect time for an effort like this one, which will mean warm footwear and outerwear for those who might otherwise be lacking.”

A lack of adequate footwear and clothing has always had a close relationship with the enormous personal and social costs of global poverty. Experts estimate that approximately 400 million children worldwide (almost as many as the entire U.S. population) live in poverty. Millions of these children will grow up never having had a pair of shoes or adequate warm clothing, resulting in significant ramifications for their health and well-being. Lacking proper footwear and clothing, countless children will not be able or permitted to attend school. And tens of millions of these poverty-stricken, boys and girls will be more susceptible to illness. To date, Soles4Souls has donated items across 127 countries. The coats and boots collected from this event will directly further that impact.

“We deeply appreciate this commitment by Gander Mountain and its customers,” said Buddy Teaster, CEO of Soles4Souls. “As the colder months approach, we know the demand for boots and coats for the needy will increase. Thank you Gander Mountain, for recognizing this need and working with us to meet it.”