Warm the Children program provides winter warmth | Popgen Tech

Warm the Children, founded in 1988 by former Register Citizen publisher Mack Stewart, provides money to families who don’t have the means to provide coats, hats, mittens and mittens for their children. The Register Citizen, following Stewart’s lead, is providing advertising space to promote Warm the Children.

“On his way to work one snowy November day, (Stewart) saw children waiting for their school bus. It was cold and windy and the children were not dressed for the weather,” according to warmthechildren.org. “Stewart wondered how children in affluent Connecticut could go to school without proper winter clothing. He worked at a newspaper in Troy, New York, which had a program to provide new winter clothing for children in need. Stewart felt that something like He discussed his idea with local social workers and colleagues; everyone said, ‘Go for it.’ One fellow employee suggested calling it Warm The Children. In its first year, the program raised $20,000 and served 249 children.”

The program also operates in other cities in Connecticut and other states, including New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Vermont, Michigan, West Virginia and Maryland.

Donations are a critical part of the process, Malo said. Her team of volunteer shoppers meets families at Walmart. The budget is $80 per child ages 4 and up and $60 per child under 4 years of age. “What we buy is necessary, but we love it when the kids come and help pick out their clothes,” she said. “Every child deserves something new and something they love that they will want to wear for the holidays.

This year’s shopping budget started at about $5,000. The names volunteer shoppers receive, said Maura Malo of Northwest Community Bank, come from FISH of NW CT Executive Director Deirdre Dikar, who reaches out to social services, day care centers and local schools to see who is most in need.

“This year we received names from Deirdre of the FISH Shelter, the Winsted Salvation Army, the Family Resource Center at Vogel-Wetmore Elementary School and the Canaan Child Care Center,” Malo said.

“We were able to shop for 53 kids and we have another family to help,” she said. “For $80, you can get quite a lot. We get a lot of hugs and thank yous from families on these shopping trips.”

Warm the Children is overseen by Northwest CT United Way, led by Executive Director Owen Quinn. He asked the residents to support this work.

“Winter is rearing its ugly head. We’re asking all Northwest Connecticut residents to stand up for it,” he said recently. “During the holiday season, it’s a great way to say their donation allows them to adopt a family and make sure they get the winter clothing they need. Families will know their donation is going directly to the family.”

To make a donation or for more information, visit warmthechildren.org or www.northwestunitedway.org/