Last month, Chadds Ford’s Operation Warm delivered 500 new coats to students at William C. Lewis Elementary School in Wilmington, writes Shelby Vaccaro for WDEL.

Heather Connelly, Operation Warm’s Director of Operations, said the program shows children that the community around them cares about their well-being.

“In some cases, this is the first time these children have received new clothing,” said Connelly.

The nationwide program began when founder and chairman Dick Sanford saw coatless children shivering at a Kennett Square bus stop nearly two decades ago. He immediately went to a local department store, and purchased all of its winter jackets.

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Since then, the program has helped millions of children in need stay warm with new coats.

“Last year, we distributed over 320,000 coats,” said Connelly.

Lewis Elementary principal Mark Phelps said the coats will also ensure that attendance stays up.

“If kids are sitting at the bus stop and they are shivering, they are less likely to come to school, so having a coat helps to remove that barrier to help kids start the day off right,” said Phelps.

Read more about Operation Warm at WDEL here, and check out previous VISTA Today coverage of Operation Warm here.

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