OXFORD — Before the doors were officially open to the Coat Room on Wednesday afternoon, shoppers were going through racks of outerwear in search of something warm to wear this winter.

“In this economy the needs are huge and we do our best to make sure everyone has warm clothing, from the elderly to the homeless teens, the children, and moms and dads,” said Wendy Williams, who has supervised the Coat Room for the past 15 years. It operates in space donated by Bob Bahre at the Oxford Plaza on Route 26.

The “store” is open to everyone and the coats and other outerwear are all donated and free to the public.

But this year, as cold weather finally arrived, Williams said she has found the store in dire need of donations. “We need coats. These are all of last year’s,” she said, looking at the racks of coats that hung in the store and the few bags that had just come in with donations.

Williams said there is a need for all sorts of warm clothing from coats, boots, mittens and hats to ski clothing and even very heavy sweatshirts that can be used as coats is necessary. There is a particular need for children’s warm clothing, she said.

The only requirement for shoppers is need, Williams said.

“Over the past 15 plus years we have passed out thousands of previously used and new coats,” she said.

Last year, she recalled, a woman came in with her granddaughter who was visiting from Florida and wanted to ski, but had no ski clothes. Not only was she able to get a ski outfit for the girl, but when she no longer needed it after returning to Florida, the grandmother had it cleaned and returned to the Coat Room.

Wilma Webber of Paris said Wednesday that she shops “for a little bit of everything,” so she can pass out warm clothing to people she knows are in need.

Williams said coats and other items may be dropped off at Hannaford’s Supermarket on Route 26 in Oxford in a special bin at their front entrance or at the Norway Laundry on Paris Street in Norway, where owners Matt and Dyanne Gurney have donated their time to dry clean all items for free.

The Coat Room is an organization of Rightstart Inc., an all-volunteer organization that provides programs and services to children in the Oxford Hills area. Rightstart began in 1979 through the efforts of the Norway-Paris Kiwanis Club. Since 1980, it has had a Board of Directors and oversees a number of programs, including Christmas for Kids, Christmas for Teens, book swaps and a summer tutoring program.

The Coat Room is open Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. from November to March. For more information, Williams can be reached at 207-527-2351.

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