BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- On Thursday, Kern County will have the chance to help local families stay warm this winter by donating to the third annual ABC23 and Azteca42 coat and blanket drive.

We spoke with one family who will be on the receiving end later this week.

Jose Giron is a struggling father of seven whose wife passed away two years ago from cancer. He said Wednesday that he is out of work, but doing the best he can to provide for his family.

Still, winter is coming and his family advocate, Sylvia Ruina, said that without the coat drive his kids won’t have the jackets they need for school.

When we visited their home in east Bakersfield his 1 and 3-year-old sons were fast asleep wrapped in blankets, but Ruina said it isn’t always so easy to keep them warm.

Giron said that since his wife passed away, he's been getting help from friends, family, and the Community Action Partnership of Kern, a nonprofit organization that helps low-income families. This year, C.A.P.K. will help distribute the coats and blankets.

Thanks to the help from generous donors, Giron and his children will have a warmer night's sleep this winter.

If you'd like to help families like the Girons, just stop at our studios on 21st and V streets anytime Thursday between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m.

All coats and blankets donated will be given to people in need through the community action partnership and the Bakersfield rescue mission.