With winter’s chill on the horizon, hundreds of area children are receiving new coats, courtesy of local firefighters and sheriff’s deputies. Several local departments are working for the first time this year with a national charity organization that distributes winter gear to needy children.
Firefighters will hand out new winter coats to 300 underprivileged youths, according to Prince George’s County fire and emergency services.
The fire department said staff members from the county’s Homeless Education Office identified public school children who needed coats. Firefighters and other volunteers prepared the coats to be distributed around the county at a Hyattsville fire station last week.
Prince George’s fire officials said 2011 was the first year the department had worked with Operation Warm — a national nonprofit that partners with other groups and organizations to provide coats for needy children — but they plan to do so in the future.
“I look forward to this becoming an annual event,” said Fire Chief Marc Bashoor.
This was also the first year that the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office partnered with the organization. The Sheriff’s Office said it collected 120 coats that went to children of inmates.
Also earlier this fall, Fairfax County firefighters collected and distributed about 2,000 coats for children in the area.
Operation Warm, which was founded in 1998, says it works with organizations in 33 states and expects to hand out its 1 millionth coat this winter season.
