M & T Bank and its employee volunteers to give away 500 brand-new winter coats to children in need at William C. Lewis Dual Language School in Wilmington through its partnership with Operation Warm.

WILMINGTON (DE): There’s a special story today! Back in October, we did a story on Operation Warm’s Run Inspired event, where over 900 registered runners lined up to run a 10K at the Winterthur grounds.

According to Run Inspired’s event manager, Erin Resnick, “Each registered runner allows Operation Warm to provide one coat to each child in need, specifically in Delaware”

PHOTO COURTESY OF: Operation Warm

And today, those coats are going out to those needy kids. M&T Bank and its employee volunteers will give away 500 brand-new winter coats to children in need at William C. Lewis Dual Language School in Wilmington through its partnership with Operation Warm, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing winter coats to low-income children.

Operation Warm believes providing a brand-new winter coat to a child in need can be ‘more than a coat.’ Children living in poverty are accustomed to receiving second-hand clothing. By providing a new coat, especially around the holidays, you not only provide a child warmth but a boost in joy and self-esteem.

M&T Bank and Operation Warm have partnered for several years to help provide brand-new coats to children in need throughout the Delaware Valley. The organization’s involvement came to fruition because of M&T’s desire to support its community members, while also incorporating a great team building experience for its employees.

“We are focused on strengthening the communities we serve, and Operation Warm does a great job of assisting children from low-income families,” Nick Lambrow, President of M&T Bank’s Delaware Region says. “The mission of Operation Warm to provide new winter coats to children in need aligns with our mission to make a positive impact in our communities.”

Operation Warm and M&T Bank volunteers providing free, warm winter coats to every Lewis student! #community @RedClaySchools @OperationWarm @MandT_Bank pic.twitter.com/01mj2ImUlC

— Lewis Dual Lang Elem (@LewisBeeNews) November 14, 2017

M&T Bank has been a major contributor to Operation Warm’s annual fundraiser, the RUN INSPIRED 10K at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library. M&T Bank supported the race during its inaugural year in 2016, increasing its support to the race in 2017 by becoming a presenting sponsor.

“We are so grateful to our partners like M&T Bank that work with us to provide warm coats to children in need,” explains Heather Connolly, Operation Warm’s Director of Development. “Coat giving events demonstrate to both children, and their parents, that local community organizations truly care about their health and well-being.”

More than thirty M&T volunteers will visit the William C. Lewis Dual Language School and East Millsboro Elementary to personally assist each child in selecting a new coat and help them write their name in the interior tag which reads, “Made Just for You.”

For information on how you can support children in need, visit https://www.operationwarm.org/.

And if you don’t know what Operation Warm has already done since 1998 check this out, Operation Warm has inspired hope and empowered communities by manufacturing and distributing high-quality, new winter coats to over 2 million children in need throughout the US. Every child deserves to be warm, but today families are struggling with tough choices and limited resources.

Necessity dictates that food and shelter take precedence over clothing, but children without coats are often absent from school in the winter, unable to play outside or partake in activities, and suffer from low self-esteem as a result. Operation Warm’s vision is that every child wearing a new winter coat is warm, feels valued, and is empowered to get to school and gain an education. www.operationwarm.org