Rotary’s ‘Operation Warm’ to Distribute 4,038 Coats
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Rotary clubs in Austintown, Canfield, Poland, Struthers and Youngstown raised nearly $67,000 to buy new coats for poor children in the Mahoning Valley, surpassing this year’s $50,000 goal.
The funds raised for “Operation Warm” will allow the Rotarians to buy 4,038 coats. Scott Schulick, Rotary District 6650 assistant governor, announced the results Tuesday.
Each Rotary club has selected children to receive the coats to be distributed this month and next.
Youngstown Rotary will distribute coats at Harding, Williamson and McGuffey elementary schools. The Knights of Columbus Immacolata Council at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church joined with Rotary to distribute coats at St. Joseph the Provider School in Youngstown.
The Austintown and Boardman clubs will pass out coats at the Salvation Army, and Boardman Rotary will donate to Boardman Local Schools as needed.
Canfield Rotary will distribute coats in Operation Blessing and in conjunction with its the police and fire departments.
The Poland club will distribute coats through the Poland Interfaith Food Pantry, Struthers to the Struthers Elementary School.
This was the fourth year that the Rotary clubs participated in Operation Warm, but the first-year members decided to unite in one effort. The coats were delivered to Potential Development and high school students from the school helped unload the truck and organize the coats for distribution. Students from the Interact Clubs at Ursuline and Cardinal Mooney high schools were also involved in distribution.
Along with individual Rotarians’ gifts, other area foundation gifts and grants supporting the effort included: Northeast Ohio Ford Dealers, The Thomases Family Endowment, Frances and Lillian Schermer Charitable Trust, DiYorio Foundation, The Raymond John Wean Foundation, Centofanti Trust, Reid Schmutz, and Richard and Susan Sokolov and Denise DeBartolo York. In addition, 12 Rotary clubs outside the Mahoning Valley contributed as well.
On the steering committee were Schulick and Youngstown Rotarians Debbie Esbenshade and Carol Sherman. Team leaders from each club are Tracie Kaglic, Austintown; Shawn Golden and Elijah Kahn, Boardman; Marie Izzo Cartwright, Canfield; Andrew Williams, Poland; JoAnn Sweeney, Struthers; and Bill Russell and Dave Stillwagon, Youngstown.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
