ST CHARLES, Mo. — The St. Andrews Cinema in St. Charles reopened almost a month ago. Now, the locally owned movie theater that originally burned down has taken the season of giving to heart, leading a coat drive for the community.
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"We used to have people in here sleeping at night," co-owner of St. Andrews Cinema Anthony Nolen said. "We would come in to work on the place and they'd be in here. So hopefully we can make an impact in their life. Give them something warm. Give them something warm. Give them something to eat, make a friend out of them, make them feel welcome, and maybe change their life."
With Christmas just around the corner, St. Andrews has already donated toys to 15 different families. Plus, for people who may not be able to keep themselves warm around a fire this year, St. Andrews Cinema has a solution.
They put on a local comedy show on Saturday to have laughs and also raise awareness about the community and those who might need the most help.
It's "a clean family comedy show for Christmas with a wonderful, wonderful beautiful part to it," comedian and St. Ann native Pete O'Shea said ahead of his performance Saturday. "It's also a winter clothing drive. There are way too many people right in our own neighborhood who don't have a hat, or scarf, or just some gloves."
The show offered $5 off the $25 ticket for bringing a donation. St. Andrews has already given away about 50 coats.
"For the homeless community out there, we know how cold it gets here in Missouri in the winter," Krystal Nolen, Anthony's wife and one of the co-owners of the cinema, said. "There are a lot of places down in the city but to have a centralized location to help in St. Charles county is super important."
After it caught fire in 2019, the theater was abandoned with homeless folks living inside, along with leaving a huge hole in the St. Charles community.
"The new owners have come in and said we want to be altruistic," O'Shea said. "We want to give back. We want to be community-oriented. They have not even made dollar one yet and they've already given away tons of stuff this whole week. That's the heart. That's the spirit."
Whether it's watching Frozen 2, The Polar Express, Christmas Carol (2009), and Gremlins through Friday, December 29, they've had success with hosting $1 movies on Wednesdays to come to the theater.
Coming soon, $2 Taco Tuesdays starting Jan. 2, where admission at St. Andrews Cinema will be $2 to see a film and $2 each for tacos, pulling from the owner's local catering background.
If you're interested in donating coats to St. Andrews Cinema to give to some of the homeless individuals in the St. Charles area, you can drop them off inside the theater every day they're open until the end of 2023.
Though they're closed Dec. 24, and on Christmas, the theater is open every day:
Sunday, 11:45 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Monday to Thursday, 4:15 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Friday, 3:45 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Saturday, 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.
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