Ever wonder what happens to Steamboat's old uniforms? Hint: Kentucky & Afghanistan

Last year Steamboat partnered with Eddie Bauer to provide brand new uniforms to our resort staff. What that meant was we had hundreds and hundreds of jackets, vests, fleeces and pants in good shape needing a new home, so we found people who could use them.

There are numerous organizations around the world who help match lightly worn ski apparel with communities in need; Steamboat Ski Resort partnered with Morning Star Development and St. Matthew by the Lake Lutheran Church in Kentucky.
 
Morning Star Development is a non-profit community and economic development organization committed to helping the people of Afghanistan rebuild their country and lives by offering resources and practical hope. IN addition to distributing coats, Morning Star also operates medical clinics, educational programs, leadership training and agriculture initiatives.
 
Morning Star sent our former uniforms to families in rural Afghanistan, where the climate is similar to Denver, Colorado and winters are cold and harsh. The uniforms donated by Steamboat are part of 100,000 pounds of clothing and supplies that came from Colorado to aid the rural poor and orphans in Afghanistan.
”The Steamboat community is known for its western hospitality, which spreads far beyond the ski area boundaries,” says Audrey Williams, director of facilities of Steamboat Ski Resort and Corporation. “We are thrilled to participate in programs that reuse our uniforms to provide warmth for children and families living in Afghanistan’s similar climate.”
In Kentucky, former Steamboat residents connected the ski resort with the St. Matthew by the Lake Lutheran Church in order to distribute the former uniforms to numerous outlets in their community that were in dire need of warm clothes and a boost in spirits. Among the organizations in Kentucky that received Steamboat’s outerwear are Bright Life Farms, a facility for mentally challenged individuals; Family Services Society which provides a free “Clothing Closet” for families in need; Marshall County Rescue Squad a volunteer group that protects their community operating only on donations; The Marshall County Exceptional Center; River City Mission, assisting the homeless of Paducah, Kentucky; and Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center.