Two downtown Raleigh businesses team up to collect coats for the homeless

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A coat can be a matter of life and death for someone without a home as temperatures are expected to dip into the teens tonight.

Which is why local downtown Raleigh businesses Runologie and Heat Studios are hoping to bring life-saving warmth to these folk with a coat collection.

"Sometimes just thinking about somebody who has to be in that scenario, that could just get them through a tough night, a week, a month," Heat Studios owner, Jake Giamoni said. "So, we're hoping that we can really affect some people positively."

The drive is a collective effort by the members of this fitness community to help Wake County's community at large.

The fitness studio reached out fellow downtown business Runologie for help, which is something the local athletic apparel line has experience with.

"Last week, we actually did a big toy drive for the Salvation Army through a group run," Brent Francese, co-owner of Runologie said. "So, everyone who came to the group run, if they brought a toy, they got a raffle ticket and we gave away some stuff, so we plan on doing that again this week with our ugly sweater run. So, bring your best coat; wear your ugliest sweater."

"I'm giving a bunch of coats," Giamoni said. "I have way too many clothes in my house, so yeah, gotta get rid of some of it and get it on to somebody that really can use it, because I think a lot of us can probably say that."