Keeping Delaware's Children Warm During The First Annual Week Of Warmth
In an effort to warm Delaware's Children in need, "Operation Warm", along with State Treasurer Jack Markell and Delaware State University President Allen Sessoms, celebrated the first-ever Week of Warmth at Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware.
"In Delaware there are 27,000 children living in poverty and through the inaugural Week of Warmth, 20,000 coats will be distributed through central points in New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties," Kim Fortunato, President of Operation Warm said. "It was terrific to kick off our initiative with State Treasurer Markell who understands the meaning of need on several different levels."
Operation Warm began in 1998 in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania after entrepreneur and philanthropist Dick Sanford, read a story in a newspaper describing local children at a bus stop without winter coats. Appalled, Mr. Sanford went to a local department store and purchased the entire inventory of the children's coat department and distributed new winter coats to the children in need. What began as a gesture of kindness has evolved into a non-profit organization that has distributed in excess of 250,000 new winter coats to date across the United States.
During Delaware's Week of Warmth, October 8, 2007 through October 12, 2007, Operation Warm, along will distribute 11,678 new winter coats to New Castle County, 2,502 coats to Kent County and 5,820 coats to Sussex County children in need.
"So many of us take for granted the most basic necessities of life. Giving a new winter coat to children in need means so much more than providing warmth," State Treasurer Markell said. "Our hope is that each child who wears one of these new coats is warm, able to regularly attend school, and go on to achieve their potential."
The Week of Warmth began on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 at a Distribution Celebration at the Shipyard Shops in Wilmington where Secretary Cari DeSantis of the Delaware Department of Children, Youth & Their Families presented a proclamation naming the week, "Week of Warmth" and invited Delawareans to support Operation Warm in providing new winter coats for children living in need in Delaware. The effort continued on Wednesday in Kent County at the Delaware State University celebration and will conclude with a distribution of coats at La Esperanza in Georgetown on Friday, October 12, 2007.
To learn more about Operation Warm and how you can offer a child the gift of warmth and confidence please visit www.operationwarm.org or call 800/730-WARM.
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