As with every year, Warm the Children reached far and wide and touched many in the community as the charity gave away clothing in September and then began the fall fundraising drive that brings in money for next year’s shopping days, which ensure that children in need are given warm clothing for the winter.
The web of those in Franklin County that are connected to Warm the Children is wide. It ranges from those who donate time and volunteer during shopping days, to those who receive the clothing and community members who send in small checks or knit hats and scarves to accompany the clothing.
The event is sponsored by The Recorder, Wilson’s Department Store and Community Action and funded through community donations. Children are selected by Community Action, a nonprofit that helps support lower income families. Wilson’s provides clothing racks and purchases the clothing with the donations, and The Recorder spearheads the fundraising effort.
The main fundraising drive begins in September with the clothes from last year’s funds are given out well ahead of the winter season. A thousand children get about $80 to $100 worth of clothing each, including a winter coat, a fleece sweatshirt, underwear, socks and thermal underwear.
According to Kelsey Klerowski, who works in the accounting office for the newspaper, The Recorder is ahead of schedule for donations. Currently, about $60,000 has been donated. With the goal of $85,000, that leaves us short $25,000.
She said at this time last year, the fund had collected a little more than $46,000, and still reaching the goal. The fundraising campaign ends on Dec. 31.
Recorder Editor George Forcier offers thanks to the community for its continued support of the charity year after year.
“Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, we are winding down weekly coverage of and appeal for our annual Warm the Children campaign, but we still encourage everyone who can to donate cash or clothing to help us restock the Warm the Children store for next year’s needy families,” Forcier said. “And we need to publicly express our gratitude to everyone who helped or donated this year so far. The Recorder is just a conduit for your generosity. Your charitableness is one of the things for which we were thankful as we gathered around our tables this past Thursday.”
For those who knit, write the checks, hold fundraisers and receive clothing it is not just another charity, but something that has a deep impact and resonates with many in Franklin County.
Jolene Dodge, a Head Start family advocate, also at the Parent Child Development Center, had six families she works with receive clothing from Warm the Children this year.
For Dodge, the yearly event is close to her heart. Seventeen years ago she was a mother who qualified for the program. For 10 years she held a bake sale as a way to give back to the program that had helped her.
“I understand where they’re coming from, so it makes it a little easier,” she said. “It helps them accept it and not feel less of themselves.”
Helping families access Warm the Children is important to Dodge. She will meet them there, pick up clothes for them, or drive them to the shopping day if they need it.
“I feel overjoyed in a lot of different ways to be a part of that, knowing where I was at one point, and being able to help them,” she said.
Bev Petravage, who volunteers as a shopper and also knits year-round to give the kids free hats and scarves with their clothing, also loves being able to help families in need.
She said being able to watch the kids pick out what they want makes it all worth it. She choked up when she told the story of watching a 4-year-old boy pick out a lime green hat to match the trim on his navy blue coat and then take off running around with the hat on, smiling and laughing.
The knitted goods are easy for the women to make and donations help offset the cost of yarn. For her it’s a small way to have a big impact on a child’s life.
“They’re the innocent ones, they didn’t ask to be cold,” she said.
Heather Cormier, a mother whose family uses Warm the Children, said she is grateful for this type of program and how much it has helped her over the last five years.
Cormier said that providing her children with winter necessities would cost them hundreds of dollars that the family just doesn’t have. Now, the family just has to make sure the children have snow boots, and they are ready for winter.
“It means peace of mind for us, and one less thing we have to worry about,” she said.
To donate to Warm the Children, send a check to: Warm the Children, c/o The Recorder, P.O. Box 1367, Greenfield, MA 01302. New clothing may also be dropped off at The Recorder, at 14 Hope St., any time during the year.
Reach Miranda Davis
at: 413-772-0261 ext. 280
or: mdavis@recorder.com
Twitter: @mirandardavis