UNITED WAY PROVIDES THOUSANDS OF NEW WINTER COATS TO LOCAL CHILDREN IN NEED

UNITED WAY PROVIDES THOUSANDS OF NEW WINTER COATS TO LOCAL CHILDREN IN NEED

As a result of United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties’ 2022 Warmest Wishes Coat Drive, local preschool, elementary and middle school students in need have a new coat to keep them warm this winter.

Thanks to the generous donations of 117 local organizations and individuals, United Way distributed over 9,000 new coats and winter items to children in 57 schools throughout our region. This includes 5,500 pairs of socks donated by Bombas. United Way would especially like to thank FirstEnergy Foundation and Holtec International for donating $5,000 each to the drive. UWMOC is one of 93 nonprofits that received American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Covid-19 Community Recovery Grant funds from the Monmouth County Government, a portion of which was put towards purchasing coats for the Warmest Wishes Coat Drive.

United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties began the Warmest Wishes Coat Drive in 2012 in response to our community’s need for winter outerwear due to the surge of families struggling from the effects of Superstorm Sandy. Now in its tenth year, the United Way drive has supplied our community with over 16,000 new coats.

“One of the things that United Way does very well is listen to our community and identify needs that aren’t being met,” said Lori-Anne McLane, President & CEO of United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. “In speaking with our local school partners, we learned that one of their top needs was new winter coats, especially in the districts where many students walk or ride their bike to school.”

As more and more families in our community continue to experience financial difficulty, basic essentials such as coats are need now more than ever.

"Words cannot express how appreciative we are to receive coats every year for our students,” said Dena Russo, Supervisor of RtI & ESL for Red Bank Borough Public Schools. “As soon as the weather turns, we see our students coming to school not prepared for the cold. When they receive their new coats, the smiles on their faces are priceless! We send them out to recess and home at the end of the day bundled up and well prepared."

For more information about how to participate in the next Warmest Wishes Coat Drive or the variety of donation drives that United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties has to offer, please contact Quinnetta Anderson at qanderson@uwmoc.org or 848-206-2037.