As New York continues to endure a deep cold front, New York Cares stepped up to bring warmth and comfort to elementary school students of the Bronx.
The city’s largest association, together with its partners the New York Yankees, organized its 37th annual coat drive, this time at the shared campus of Lucero Elementary School PS 311 and Walton Avenue School PS 294.
New York Cares selected this community because many of its students come from families in temporary housing, recent immigrant households, and Title I–eligible backgrounds. With a snowstorm that had paralyzed New York the previous weekend, it was an opportunity for kids in need to get equipped to fight the cold.
Children from 3K to 5K were welcomed into their school cafeteria for a morning of fun and music. They were given plain paper bags for their new coats that they got to decorate with stickers and drawings, while a DJ played pop tunes.
After making thank you cards for the donors, the kids went shopping and browsed through the racks until they found the perfect coat that fit them. Classes then took pictures in front of the winter decorations.
“It’s really frigid outside. The temperatures have dropped and we know that there’s a great need around the city for coats,” said Jessica Quinones, the Chief Program Officer at New York Cares, before urging New Yorkers to give gently used or new coats.
“Our goal this year is to collect 50,000 coats and distribute those coats before the end of the season.”
The FDNY also showed up for Bronx youths. The children were given plastic fire helmets and had the opportunity to meet and take pictures with Siren, the FDNY’s safety mascot. The New York Yankees provided promotional magazines.
“As a result of our effort today, 600 local youths will leave here with coats,” said Brian Smith, the Senior Vice President of Corporate and Media Relations for the Yankees. “To see these smiling faces, it means the world, and that’s especially important on a day where it’s 13° outside.”
The Superintendent of Community School District 9, Harry Sherman, was here to oversee the coat drive and meet with the children of his district.
“We made sure that it just wasn’t just ‘pick up a coat’, but a whole experience for the students,” said Sherman. “It’s all just a way to let them know we see them, we love them, we support them. We are coming together as a community to make sure that their needs are met.”
Sherman praised the Yankees for their yearlong partnership with District 9, which includes hosting students at Yankee Stadium for STEM expos and chess tournaments, as well as participating in several other events.
With rising costs and the ongoing affordability crisis, initiatives like this are more necessary than ever.
“Some kids come to school without jackets and they’re really cold,” Yusuf Tunkara, a student from PS 294, said. “Money can be tight so it’s going to be hard to buy a jacket and you have to get old things that don’t fit you.”
Yusuf was glad he got to pick a black puffer jacket, which he said would fit his black shoes perfectly. Just like Yusuf, Jonaliz Quezada Lora, who attends PS 311, matched her coat to her boots and got a “cute and cozy” pink coat.
“I love that P.S. 294 and P.S. 311 are sharing this day so that we could combine both of our schools and that we could be together, say hi, meet, and that we could celebrate,” Jonaliz said. “It was really amazing.”
