Los Gatos High School juniors Kelsey Hood and Jessica Landrum, both 16, started the school's first annual "Coats for Kids, Teens and Adults Too" drive. The girls are not part of a team, club or community organization. The idea was something they did independently, with warm hearts.

"We wanted to help out the community and do something good," Hood said. "We were making a difference in people's lives."

More than 300 coats, ranging from new and outgrown to just sitting in the back of a closet, came piling in to the girls, through boxes conveniently located at the high school, as well as at Los Gatos elementary schools and Raymond J. Fisher Middle School.

"We are used to getting coats—it's a given for us," Landrum said. "But something as simple as a coat can be such a gift to us, and we don't even realize it."

It took a lot of hard work to get the drive planned and up and running. They received the green light from Los Gatos High School Vice Principal Dan Fowler and Principal Trudy McCulloch.

"They did all the work," Fowler said. "I just walked them through the process."

Fowler added that he was impressed with the resources the girls pooled from the community, commending them for deciding to do this on their own. He watched from Nov. 17 to 21 as the boxes used to collect the coats at the high school were continuously filled until they overflowed every day.

"It's a good time to give—the season to give," Hood said.

The girls picked up the coats from the boxes at the schools daily, laundering them and sorting them into piles by size, sex or age range. One day in particular, they spent three hours at a coin-operated laundry.

The girls said they learned how to publicize their idea and spread the word. They sent fliers home in weekly packets to local schools, as well as through various announcements at the high school level. Hood said that Blossom Hill Elementary School donated the most coats by far. The girls added that the office staff at each school was extremely supportive of their efforts and even contributed to their success.

Hood and Landrum delivered the coats in person to nonprofit organizations such as InnVision, the Emergency Housing Consortium and Sacred Heart Community Services, while getting tours on Dec. 10 of each of these facilities and meeting volunteers who would distribute the coats to the needy.

"It was more than what we expected," Hood said.

But the girls have even higher aspirations for next year's holiday season. They'll start the second annual coat drive earlier, leaving more time to get the word out and collect the coats. They also plan to seek the support of local merchants.

"We hope the drive will expand and continue even after we graduate," Hood said.

Coats can still be donated anytime to InnVision at 408.453.3124, 297 Commercial St., San Jose; the Emergency Housing Consortium at 408.294.2100, 2011 Little Orchard St., San Jose; and Sacred Heart Community Services at 408.278.2177, 1381 S. First St., San Jose.