HOWELL — Tyler Hunt may only be 17, but he is already well acquainted with the art of giving.
Tyler, who is a senior at Howell High School, is the mastermind behind “A Coat for Christmas,” an annual holiday coat drive that provides warmth for less-fortunate Monmouth County families during the cold winter months.
The local charity began in 2006 when Tyler paid a visit to his mother, Erin Hunt, at work one day before the December holidays. The Diane Turton Realty office in Spring Lake Heights was participating in a giving tree, a project that subsequently inspired the young man.
“There were five cards on the tree with gifts written on them by kids in need,” Tyler explained. “I was really surprised to find out that four out of five of these kids asked for coats instead of toys. I guess I’m selfish, but I couldn’t imagine a Christmas without toys. I’ve been privileged. These kids deserve that, too.”
With the help of his mother and employees of the real estate agency, Tyler began collecting coats using the office as a drop-off point. Over the past four years, the charity posts have spread and now include all Diane Turton Realty offices in Monmouth County as well as the Amaryllis Studio in Avon.
This widespread effort has helped Tyler gather more than 2,000 coats since the coat drive’s inception, all of which go to Operation Sleighbells, a holiday charity spearheaded by Monmouth County Family and Children’s Services, Long Branch.
Monmouth County Family and Children’s Services is an organization that provides social services, educational support, mental health counseling, caregiver relief or in-home intervention and care for disabled or elderly individuals.
Operation Sleighbells is the agency’s historic gift-giving program, which began in 1909 and has provided more than 2,500 children with gifts of clothing, toys and books each year. The project allows Monmouth County residents and businesses to participate through donating gifts, gift cards and money, as well as adopting a family for the season and using their “Tree of Angels,” which provides the specific details and wishes of several children in need.
“There are more than 600 families in need of coats over at Monmouth County Family and Children’s Services,” Tyler said. “Although I don’t get to see them actually get the coats, it’s good to know that each one is going to someone who really needs it.”
Tyler’s efforts have not gone unrecognized. Operation Sleighbells coordinator Tekla Moquin praised the Howell student for his contributions.
“The ‘A Coat for Christmas’ drive enabled hundreds of families to receive a warm coat to use this winter and was greatly appreciated by our Operation Sleighbells families,” Moquin said of last year’s drive. “In fact, because of the large number of coats [Tyler] was able to collect and provide to Monmouth County Family and Children’s Services we were able to contact families that we could not guarantee gifts … ”
This holiday season, Tyler has been vigorously advertising his charity drive through posters and newspaper ads in the hope of exceeding his goal of 2,000 coats. At this time, Tyler has gathered more than 800 coats so far.
But “A Coat for Christmas” is not the only philanthropic activity the Howell resident is involved in. Tyler has also volunteered once a week at the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties for the past three years and has lent his time to the American Cancer Society.
“It’s just the thought of giving back to the community that I really love,” the young man said.
“A Coat for Christmas” will be running until Dec. 1, but donations will still be accepted throughout December. Gently worn or lightly used items can be delivered during office hours to any Diane Turton Realty office and to Amaryllis Studio on Main Street, Avon.