Children who lack the proper winter attire in Red Bank can enjoy the experience of warmth this season.
That is the result of a donation of 100 jackets that were purchased with funds raised by community members.
On Oct. 31, Tom Wieczerzak, Grand Knight of Red Bank Knights of Columbus, presented the jackets to an intimate gathering of public officials and organization members at Red Bank Primary School.
Wieczerzak said funds raised from the religious based organization, along with donations from public officials and businesses, helped in the purchase of additional jackets that will be used for distribution in town.
Wieczerzak said the annual incentive provides children who cannot afford coats with the proper outerwear they need to remain warm in cold temperatures.
Sean DiSomma, Red Bank resident and member of Knights of Columbus, said the coats will be distributed to children through the nurses’s office at the Red Bank Primary School. DiSomma said a portion of the coats will also be provided to charter schools in town.
Red Bank Mayor Pasquale Menna and Republican Congressman Chris Smith, who both provided donations to the effort, were present as Wieczerzak thanked them for their financial support.
“We have a democratic mayor, a republican congressman and coats for kids,” DiSomma said, noting the heartwarming nature of individuals from different political parties coming together to support the same cause.
Cathy Reardon, Red Bank Primary School nurse, said some children come to school without winter coats or are wearing outerwear that is too small to fit them comfortably.
Reardon said children who arrive to school without winter coats is a familiar sight each year.
Reardon said out of 645 students at the elementary school, which accommodates pre-school age children through third grade, she said it will be easy to place the 100 jackets with students who need them.
Asked the importance of a quality winter coat on a child’s self-esteem, Reardon said, “Besides keeping (children) warm, I think the kids feel more confident if they have a clean, nice winter coat on versus one that is too small or too tight.
“You should see them,” Reardon said. “They are happy. They come in like they are shopping … Some kids have never had a new coat. To come and pick different colors is a big deal for them.”
At school, Reardon said she oversees a backpack program that supplies 20 families in Red Bank with food.
“Fridays (children) will get a backpack full of food to bring home for the weekend,” Reardon said. “We have need for kids who go hungry on the weekends.”
Reardon said children and their siblings who are part of the backpack program will receive their choice of a new winter coat.
Reardon said she receives emails from teachers who recognize children in their classrooms who do not have appropriate outerwear. She said those children will also receive new coats.
“We try to take care of (the children) the best that we can,” Reardon said.