Essex Jct.School Counselors provide personal stories about students who receive coats

In 2023, Max Seaton (Chair of the Operation Warmth Initiative of Essex Rotary) reports that  almost 800 coats were distributed to school children and others in need in the towns of Essex Rotary and surrounding communities.  Here is the 2024 report for the program:

Operation Warm 2023 This was the fifth year providing coats to young people in our community. The ordering process begins in early September when we contact school nurses in the EWSD, Jericho, Underhill, and two organizations serving youth. Once the nurses return their list with the numbers of students by gender and grade, we send the information to Operation Warm. About ten days later FedEx delivers the coats to me and we organize them by school distributing them. Packaging from Operation Warm results in extra coats which we donate to different organizations in the community. We bought a few coats from COSCO in the largest sizes.

Budget: $5,650 (Coat orders $5,245,79 balance remaining of $404.21)

Schools and Organizations (157 coats)

• ADL (4), Hiawatha (15), Founders Memorial (7), Jericho Elementary (8), Summit (13), Thomas Fleming (10), CHIPS (33), Giving Tree (First Congregational Church (66

Organizations (67 coats)

• Refugee Center Colchester (12)
• Essex Pediatric (8)
• COTS (10)
• Spectrum (19)
• Essex Police Department Community Outreach (18)

Summary of coat donations

• 2019 (78 coats); 2020 (107 coats); 2021 (150); 2022 (252); 2023 (205)
• Total to date: 792 coats

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