HUDSON — Need a winter coat? On Monday, the Department of Corrections began distributing 7,000 surplus winter coats to shelters and Salvation Army outlets around the state.

State Rep. Carol Doherty and Donald Cleary of the Taunton VFW, along with MMSF, will distribute new winter coats to veterans and military personnel.

The Salvation Army Charlottetown Community Church is seeing an increase in people looking for winter jackets, says John Burton, a corps officer at the organization.