The annual Coats for Kids program is making a call for action this year because so many dry cleaners who used to participate in the campaign are no longer open.
The Unemployed Help Centre said it needs a warehouse or other large space to keep the coats, money to wash them, and new collection sites.
Only one dry cleaner will be collecting coats this year.
The campaign starts in mid-September, and last year collected 5,000 winter coats for those who needed them.
"No child should be without a coat in cold weather," said CEO June Muir. "It's a basic necessity."
The program serves a wide swath of the community, from low-income families to newcomers.
"Often newcomers arrive from very warm climates and have never experienced a winter," the Unemployed Help Centre said in a news release. "Being able to get a coat, hat, leggings, and mittens for their children and themselves helps them cope while going through a difficult time."
The centre said while Coats for Kids programs in Leamington and Essex are not in jeopardy, the campaign in Windsor is unless the community comes forward to help.