City firefighters join effort to provide warm winter coats for at-risk children

Press release:

The City of Batavia Firefighters, IAFF Local 896, will provide new winter coats to warm the hearts, minds, and bodies, of the students at Agri-Business Child Development (ABCD) School on Brooklyn Avenue in Batavia. This campaign is led by the City of Batavia Firefighters to provide at-risk children that attend school in Batavia with brand-new, American-made coats for the winter. 

This is the first year the City of Batavia Fire Department has joined forces with national non-profit Operation Warm to launch the program, “Firefighters Coats for Kids,” a movement led by firefighters across the United States to combat the effects of childhood poverty while saving American jobs.

This distribution event is the culmination of the firefighters' fundraising efforts since August. 

The City of Batavia firefighters are raising funds to provide coats to 30 children at ABCD, which utilizes a system of points, in accordance with the Head Start Performance Standards, to ensure that the neediest of the eligible families receive services. The coats, manufactured especially by Operation Warm, have been ordered in just the right size and in a variety of colors so that the children may enjoy a unique coat that fits properly. “Keeping them warm and safe throughout the winter is the least we can do,” firefighter Adam Palumbo stated. 

City firefighters will surprise the students with their new coats, personally fitting each child, and help them to write their names in the interior tag, which reads, “Made Just for You.”  “This is a program that strengthens communities and the overall well-being of children,” said Carey Palmquist, executive director of Operation Warm. “A new coat boosts a child’s self-esteem and allows families to stretch limited financial resources to other basic necessities, such as food and shelter.”

Operation Warm is dedicated to providing new winter coats to U.S. children in need and has reached more than 1.2 million children since 1998. The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) represents more than 300,000 professional firefighters who are dedicated to serving their communities beyond the traditional call of duty. In 2012, Operation Warm joined together with the IAFF to form a widespread, high-impact program called Firefighters Coats for Kids.

The collaboration of these two organizations deepens the reach and support of our efforts, as firefighters protecting communities across the USA has become the face of this mission and the catalyst for a multidimensional program that not only provides coats to impoverished children but also helps Americans get back to work and out of poverty.

Through this unprecedented partnership firefighters are distributing coats made and sourced 100 percent in the USA. This collaboration provides relief for families who struggle to meet basic needs and to children who will now experience the joy and pride of owning something brand new – a gift of warmth from their local firefighters.

To learn more and donate, please visit: www.operationwarm.org/batavia