When the first snowflakes drift across Utah’s mountains, something shifts in the air. The world slows, the nights grow longer, and homes begin to glow with soft light and laughter. Yet beyond those cozy windows, many of our neighbors brace for the biting cold – without a coat, without a blanket, sometimes without shelter at all.
That’s why every winter, as hearts open and spirits of giving rise, Red Hanger Cleaners joins hands once again with Bank of Utah and Arctic Circle Restaurants for the Warm Bodies, Warm Souls Charity Drive. Together, they invite Utahns to do something profoundly simple and profoundly human: share the warmth.
You’ll want to read this post, not because it’s about a donation event, but because it’s about a community that shows up. It’s about how one coat, one person, one act of giving can ripple into something much bigger. This is the story of warmth shared, lives touched, and hope restored.
From Coats to Kindness: The Story Behind the Warm Bodies, Warm Souls Charity Drive
Every year, as the chill settles over Utah and the first snow falls, communities come alive with a different kind of warmth – the warmth of giving. The Warm Bodies, Warm Souls Charity Drive, founded in 2011 by Bank of Utah, began with a simple idea: when neighbors care for one another, no one should have to face winter’s cold alone.
What started as a local coat drive has since grown into a cherished statewide tradition that unites Bank of Utah, Arctic Circle Restaurants, and Red Hanger Cleaners in a shared mission of compassion.
Today, that mission continues stronger than ever. Across dozens of collection sites, Utahns drop off gently used coats, scarves, and gloves, knowing their kindness will soon find its way into the hands of someone in need. The drive has become more than an annual event – it’s a reminder that generosity is the thread that ties every community together.
Important Facts About the Drive’s Ongoing Legacy
To understand how this tradition thrives, here’s what makes the campaign both meaningful and effective:
- Founded in 2011, the initiative began as a local outreach effort by the Bank of Utah to help struggling families stay warm.
- Arctic Circle Restaurants joined in 2014, expanding the drive’s reach through its network of restaurants and the Arctic Cares Foundation.
- Red Hanger Cleaners joined five years ago, offering 12 convenient drop-off locations and professional cleaning for all donated items.
- Every year, donations are distributed to 15 trusted charities, from the Cache Community Food Pantry to The Road Home in Salt Lake City.
Each year’s success proves one truth: when communities lead with kindness, warmth always finds its way home.
How Every Coat, Hat, and Glove Tells a Story of Hope
Not every act of generosity makes the news, but every one of them makes a difference. Each coat dropped into a donation bin tells a quiet story of love, memory, or gratitude. Maybe it’s a parent passing along their child’s outgrown jacket. Maybe it’s someone paying forward a kindness they once received. Whatever the story, that single gesture becomes a lifeline for another person facing the cold.
The Warm Bodies, Warm Souls Charity Drive turns ordinary items into extraordinary acts of compassion. A coat becomes protection from the wind. A hat becomes a comfort for someone sleeping outdoors. And a pair of gloves becomes proof they haven’t been forgotten.
True Stories That Inspire the Drive
Over the years, stories from Utahns have painted a picture of hope in motion:
- A young boy in Logan donated his favorite coat after learning it could keep another child warm at school.
- A senior in Ogden spends every November knitting scarves, saying it’s “her way of staying part of something bigger.”
- A volunteer in Salt Lake City recalls delivering coats to a family who had just moved into shelter housing and watching tears turn to smiles.
Every bag of donations represents connection, empathy, and the shared belief that one small act can change someone’s winter and maybe their outlook on life.
Partnering for a Purpose: Bank of Utah, Arctic Circle Restaurants, and Red Hanger Cleaners Unite Again
Great things happen when good people join forces. The ongoing partnership between Bank of Utah, Arctic Circle Restaurants, and Red Hanger Cleaners shows what’s possible when businesses use their reach to serve others. Together, these Utah-based organizations have created a network of generosity that spans the state.
Each partner plays a distinct role – Bank of Utah organizes, Arctic Circle Restaurants amplifies, and we at Red Hanger Cleaners deliver. Yet we’re bound by one purpose: to remind Utahns that the heart of the holidays isn’t found in presents, but in presence.
How Each Partner Contributes
To see how the drive operates smoothly every year, here’s how each organization helps bring it to life:
- Bank of Utah provides coordination, outreach, and donation management to ensure statewide participation.
- Arctic Circle Restaurants, through its Arctic Cares Foundation, uses its 38 restaurants to collect donations and reward contributors with free double cheeseburger coupons.
- Red Hanger Cleaners provides 12 statewide donation centers, cleans every item collected, and manages transportation to partner charities.
Our combined effort shows that kindness scales beautifully when everyone does their part.
How You Can Join the Warmth: Donation Dates and Drop-off Locations
If you’ve ever wanted to make a difference, this is your moment. The 2025 Warm Bodies, Warm Souls Charity Drive runs from October 21 through November 15, giving Utahns nearly a month to contribute before winter’s coldest days arrive. You don’t have to buy anything new or spend a cent. Simply gather the items you no longer need and imagine the comfort they could bring to someone who does.
Every donation tells a story of shared humanity. Whether you drop off a single coat or a bag full of winter essentials, you’re joining thousands of Utahns who believe warmth is meant to be shared.
How to Take Part
Here’s everything you need to know to get involved this season:
- When to Donate: October 21 – November 15, 2025.
- What to Bring: New or gently used winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, socks, blankets, or monetary contributions.
- Where to Go: Donation bins are located at Red Hanger Cleaners, Arctic Circle Restaurants, and Bank of Utah locations across Utah.
- Who Benefits: Donations are distributed to 15 nonprofit partners serving families, veterans, and homeless residents statewide.
- How to Share the Message: Post your experience on social media with #WarmBodiesWarmSouls and #RedHangerCares to inspire others to participate.
Even the smallest donation becomes part of something much larger – a collective act of warmth that ripples across the state.
A Thank You to Donors: Discounts and Rewards That Give Back
In a world where time is precious, every person who takes a moment to give deserves appreciation. That’s why Red Hanger Cleaners and Arctic Circle Restaurants offer a small but meaningful way to say thank you.
When you bring donations to Red Hanger Cleaners, you’ll receive 10% off your next dry cleaning service – a simple gesture to show gratitude for your generosity. And at Arctic Circle Restaurants, donors are treated to a free double cheeseburger coupon as a delicious token of thanks. It’s a lighthearted reminder that giving should feel good for everyone involved.
Of course, the truest reward can’t be printed on a coupon. It’s the quiet satisfaction of knowing your donation may be the reason someone sleeps warm tonight, or walks to work tomorrow feeling safe and seen.
Join the Warmth This Season!
The Warm Bodies, Warm Souls Charity Drive stands as living proof that generosity doesn’t fade with the frost; it burns brighter because of it. Each coat, each hat, and each simple act of kindness adds another spark to Utah’s collective warmth, reminding us that compassion is the truest comfort there is.
This year, as Red Hanger Cleaners, Bank of Utah, and Arctic Circle Restaurants unite once again, they invite every Utahn to become part of something far greater than any one of us – a story written in kindness, stitched with compassion, and carried by the belief that no one should ever have to face winter’s chill alone.
So, before the snow begins to fall, take a moment. Open your closet. Open your heart. And join the warmth. Because the greatest gift you can give this season won’t be wrapped in paper or placed under a tree – it will be the warmth you share with someone who needs it most.