SMITHVILLE, Ohio — When Daphne Ross installed a clothesline outside her antique store, Just Enough Antiques, three years ago, its purpose was simple: to display quilts and textiles. But during the cold months, the line sat empty.
“I had the clothesline put in three winters ago,” Ross said.
That changed when Ross decided to use it in a different way, by hanging winter coats for anyone who might need them.
Now, the clothesline has become a lifeline, holding coats for anyone who needs one or simply wants one.
The effort started with 10 coats Ross purchased herself.
“I have a coat closet. Some people don’t even have a coat to hang in a closet,” she said.
Ross hung the coats on the line outside her store, and soon, the community began to contribute.
Local residents started cleaning out their closets and donating their gently used coats.
The coats are free to anyone who wants or needs them.
“I think people have a hard time making ends meet. Their kids need a coat, so they’ll come get coats for their whole family. And maybe next year, they’ll trade it in for a larger one,” Ross said.
Ross said she could have brought the coats inside her store but wanted the process to remain simple and anonymous.
“It’s a thing they can do without someone eyeballing or watching. Or just judging,” she said.
While located in Smithville, Ross says the coats are for everyone.
"If you live in the next town over or the next county and you just happen to come by or drive here on purpose and you find what you need, that’s a good thing too," she said.
If you want to donate your own coats, all you have to do is stop by and hang them out on the line. Extra clothespins are hanging on the line.
She plans to have the coats out until February if you want to grab one or drop one off.
