Top Flite Financial Gives 50 Coats to Students

BOARDMAN, Ohio – Top Flite Financial’s annual coat drive for Boardman’s elementary students couldn’t be more timely, as the new year begins with frigid temperatures and many students in need of a winter coat.

“I always have kids in mind that I know will benefit from a new winter coat,” said Jen Carey, guidance counselor at Stadium Drive and Market Street Elementary schools. “If I see them coming off the bus and they just have a sweatshirt on I’ll say, ‘Hey where’s your coat?’ And they’ll tell me how they don’t have one.”

On Thursday, employees from Top Flite Financial dropped off over 50 new coats at Stadium Drive School to be distributed between the four Boardman elementary schools.

Top Flite is a mortgage lending company that works with clients to secure, purchase, and refinance homes. This is the third year that the company has donated coats to students.

“I work pretty closely with most of the families, so most of the time I know the situation they are in,” Carey said at the coat drive.

“I’ll probably distribute more [coats] at the Market Street School than I’ll do here, but there are still some students who need them here,” said Carey, who pointed to demographics of the schools’ locations playing into where the greatest need is for coats.

“We found that most of these children have received hand-me-down coats or no coats at all,” said Ryan Cuffle, branch manager of Top Flite in Boardman. “Some families are not as fortunate. So this is something we do to give back.”

In December Top Flite had four Cleveland Cavaliers’ tickets to raffle off in a contest. Employees received one raffle ticket to enter the drawing for each coat donated.

“We drew the raffle on Facebook Live and the winner got the four Cavs tickets,” Cuffle said. “The employee who won donated six coats,” he added.

Cuffle read some of the coat tags that had brand names on them, such as, OshKosh B’gosh, Burlington, and Justice.

“We want the kids to be able to enjoy their time coming to school, leaving school, as well as recess. The coats go a long way,” said Stadium Drive principal Michael Zoccali. “As a school district that’s really the only way we could be successful is by the support of the community. That’s a huge piece of it for us.”

Pictured: Ryan Cuffle, branch manager of Top Flite Financial, and Stadium Drive Principal Michael Zoccali hold up donated coats for the students in the Boardman elementary schools.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.