Why New Coats?
Roughly 1 in 5 U.S. Children Live in Poverty - Nearly 14 MILLION Children
That's more than the entire populations of West Virginia, Utah, Iowa and Oregon, COMBINED.
Life Without a Coat – Getting to School
- Kids as young as five must walk 3+ miles to school, even on freezing cold days
- If you can’t get to school, a parent may have to take off work and miss out on a day’s pay
- Low-income children are more susceptible to chronic absenteeism, which leads to falling behind in core subjects and a higher likelihood of dropping out of high school
“During the winter, there is a surge of students absent from school because they do not have a coat to brave the winter weather. This has a huge impact on their academic achievement, and arguably this impacts their ability to overcome and end the cycle of generational poverty.”
Life Without a Coat – Playing Outside
- Many low-income schools don’t have gym class, so your only physical exercise is outside recess
- If you don’t have a coat, you may be forced to sit inside and watch your friends play
- A single child in a classroom without a coat could prevent the entire class from going outside
“A warm coat, especially a nice and stylish new coat, provides a child with a feeling of self-respect at an age when self-esteem can be a challenge.”
Why Operation Warm?
We believe the gift of a new coat offers a child physical and emotional warmth, confidence to socialize and succeed, and hope of a brighter future
Physical & Emotional Warmth
Studies show that what you wear affects mood, self-confidence and performance. Children can perceive social and economic differences at an early age.
School Attendance
Many low-income students must walk to school. If they miss school due to inclement weather, they miss out on an education, social interaction and free or reduced meals.
Outdoor Activity
Without a coat, its difficult to stay active and healthy on cold and rainy days. If you come to school without a coat, many schools force you to stay inside during recess or gym class.
Can I Trust Operation Warm?
For 20 years, Operation Warm and its partners have served children across North America. Since our inception, we’ve provided nearly 3 million new coats to children in need.
When you give to Operation Warm, we use your money wisely. We are an extremely efficient nonprofit, with 95c of every $1 donated going directly to our programs. Review our financials.
Give a Gift of Warmth
Learn how you can help a child in need receive a gift of warmth, confidence and hope through a brand new winter coat.
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