Wherever the story began, when it got to Mershon and Koufman, it hit them right in the feels at the exact right time: pre-blizzard. They decided there was a place here for such a thing, and the next day — a Saturday — they were scooping up coats and jackets at thrift stores.

They put notes in the pockets of all of them that read “Enjoy the gift of warmth” and hung them in trees near shelters and the Central Library where they knew there would be foot traffic.

The beta test in December went so well they went for a second round earlier this month. All told, they put out more than 100 coats.

Giving back

The idea was to give a little something back. It’s a decent — and common — instinct for a lot of people. Most everyone wants to help others.

And as typically happens, the women saw (and heard) a few unexpected things as they went about their way.

“That first time, it seemed like the coats were all gone in five minutes,” Mershon said. “The hardest thing was figuring out how to hang them on (utility) poles.”

At one stop, they said they were approached by a young couple driving a small, old, very used car. The young man — a boyfriend or maybe her husband — walked up.