MANCHESTER, NH – In a year that has disrupted most everything, including manufacturing and deliveries, there are two things that can’t be stopped: Winter in New England, and the delivery of more than 1,100 warm coats for kids in the Queen City, thanks to Manchester Fire Department’s annual Operation Warm coat drop.
On Wednesday the first delivery was made to Beech Street School, received with gratitude by school social worker Kathleen Wheeler. She said if there is not a snow day Thursday, most of the 182 Beech Street kids who requested coats will be able to pick them up.
“We have some priority learning students in the building who we will be able to give coats to tomorrow. Otherwise, Friday parents will come in by grade level,” Wheeler said. If for any reason a parent is unable to make it to the school building, they will find a way. “We have to be cautious due to COVID-19. We can’t go into other buildings, but our parents are resourceful. And whatever we have to do, we’ll make sure the coats are distributed.”
Manchester Fire Lt. Brian Paquette, who serves as Manchester Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 856 President, said it’s disappointing that the usual distribution, which includes helping kids pick out their coats by color and size, can’t happen, they are happy to be distributing a record-number of coats this year. Aside from schools, about 300 coats will also be going to kids through The Way Home and the Bring It afterschool program.
It is the sixth year Local 856 has participated in Operation Warm, a national effort to make sure kids around the country have warm coats in winter.
Normally coats are delivered before the Thanksgiving break, but this year due to the pandemic, there was a delay from the coat distributor which, like many manufacturing operations dependent on manpower, was behind in delivering the goods.
But the coats landed just in time for what is expected to be a significant winter storm, set to move into the Manchester area sometime Wednesday night.
Firefighter Mike Benoit was the point person who worked with the school district to organize this year’s effort.
“A lot of things we’re normally used to doing this year had to be cancelled due to COVID-19, but winter doesn’t stop in New England, and neither does Operation Warm,” Benoit said.
To date, Manchester’s Operation Warm has provided more than 5,000 coats to kids in need. Fundraising efforts are year-round, and this year, about $16,000 was raised. Any money not used this year will help seed next year’s efforts. For more information or to make a donation for Operation Warm 2021, click here.
