Back adjustor and... coat collector? He does it all!

Chiropractor Dr. Chris Thornell and his clients at New England Family Chiropractic rounded up 110 brand new winter coats to donate to the Ethel E. Hammond Elementary School's annual coat drive. Thornell and his wife, Stephanie, delivered the haul on Thursday, Dec. 22.

Thornell and his clients have contributed to the coat drive for six years. He said his clients often remember the drive and spread the word about it.

"[The coats] are starting to come in from all over the place now," said Thornell. "I have people I haven't seen in my office in three years call and say, 'Hey, are you doing the coat drive?'"

Where does Thornell keep all those coats?

"They stack just about to the ceiling in a back office," he said with a smile.

The people who need coats are also coming from all over, said Helene Owen, a Hammond Elementary secretary who coordinates the drive. She said coats have been distributed to residents from Fall River, New Bedford, Hyannis, and Brockton, to name a few. All sizes are collected.

The school accepts used coats in good condition, but Thornell said he likes to encourage people to donate new ones.

"Especially for the kids, it's nice to get a new coat," he said.

The school distributes the coats free-of-charge to anyone who needs one.

Owen had some coats leftover from last year's drive and brought them out in October due to chillier-than-normal weather. She gave one to a child who recently moved to Wareham from a state with a warmer climate.

"He was so proud of it," Owen remembered. "If [the drive] puts one jacket on one child, it makes all the difference."

The boy was also able to pick out a matching scarf for his new coat, thanks to other outerwear donations, including some handmade items from local knitters.

The coat drive has been in operation for at least a decade. Because of the overwhelming response of the community over the years, custodian Paul Gould had to build special racks on which to hang all the coats, Owen said. The three big racks line one wall of the school's cafeteria.

Custodian Lori Moran often helps organize the coats, replenishing the supply when it gets low.

"It's a group effort," Owen noted. "Without all the help in the community, we wouldn't be able to do what we do."

Need a winter coat? Stop by Hammond Elementary School, located at 13 Highland Street in Onset, on school days from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.