The Rotary Club of Bradford is taking action in the fight against childhood poverty in the Bradford Area School District by providing brand new coats to children in need.

The club partnered with the Blaisdell Foundation, received a matching grant from Rotary District #7280, and used a portion of the proceeds from the Rotary Golf Tournament to raise the funds needed to purchase 168 coats.

Rotarians visited schools in the Bradford Area School District and Head Start this week to deliver the coats which were purchased from the Operation Warm Coats for Kids Foundation. 

“In our eighth year of collaboration with Operation Warm, Rotary President Ben Kirsch announced, ‘We are continuing our mission to provide new coats for children.’ The club extends its sincere appreciation to the community partners who play a pivotal role in the success of this important initiative, alongside the dedicated individuals from Bradford Schools and Bradford Rotary who tirelessly work to meet the needs of local children.”

According to Operation Warm: Nearly 17% of American children live in poverty. For a family of four, their income is less than $26,200/year. While many government and private programs work to address food and housing insecurity, only a few programs are able to address the lack of appropriate and adequate clothing. 

For more information about the Rotary Club of Bradford, visit  https://www.facebook.com/bradfordrotary or myrotary.org.