Alexandria’s neediest children received a warm winter gift on Dec. 15, when more than 250 new winter coats were delivered to Alexandria schools by the Coats for Kids Foundation and Olympic Moving and Storage.
Paul Darby, founder of Coats for Kids, and a crew of movers from Olympic Moving and Storage handed out coats at Alexandria’s Child and Family Network Center, Tucker, Mt. Vernon, Cora Kelly, and Lyles Crouch Elementary Schools.
“Most people don’t realize what a need there is in Alexandria. The perception is that Alexandria is a rich community, and while there is a lot of affluence, there is also a lot of need. We are the only organization in Alexandria currently meeting the need for new winter coats,” said Darby as he spoke at the Child and Family Network Center headquarters.
Child and Family Network Center Director Barbara Mason expressed the impact new winter coats will have on the lives of at-risk children and their families, saying that the new coats foster self-esteem, sense of ownership, and better performance and attendance in school.
Coats for Kids has identified as many as 6,000 Alexandria children who do not own a quality winter coat to protect them on the area’s cold winter days.
Financial donations and donations of new coats are needed; they can be taken to Olympic Moving and Storage headquarters, 6308-E Gravel Avenue, Alexandria.