Archbishop William E. Lori and members of the Knights of Columbus distributed new winter coats Dec. 11 at Archbishop Borders School, delivering the gift of warmth to the children of Baltimore just in time for the coldest months of the year.
Since 2009, the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids program has provided warm winter coats to children in need living in cold climates in the United States, Canada and overseas.
Principal Amy Bells Belz emphasized the significance as many students lacked winter coats, especially during the Christmas season, “A number of them come from countries where they don’t need coats, so it’s the first time they’ve experienced winter.”
The scale of the initiative was significant, with approximately 232 children benefiting from this act of generosity. Belz noted that even the teachers made sure to take a coat for absentees, underscoring the collective effort to ensure that no child was left without the essential warmth provided by a winter coat.
In a departure from previous years where used coats were donated, this time, each child received a new coat tailored to fit him or her.
Reflecting on the initiative, Bells said, “It makes me feel very warm inside to know that there’s so much generosity, and most importantly that my children are taken care of.”
Rick Casazza, chairman of the Knights of Columbus council for Maryland, noted that this marked his first year participating in this charitable campaign. Additionally, the Knights hosted two events, distributing a total of 1,000 coats among three organizations. Casazza clarified that the Knights of Columbus directly acquired clothing from Knights Gear to support these initiatives.
Casazza underlined the rewarding aspect of helping those in need. Charity serves as a fundamental principle for the Knights, and Casazza remarked, “Observing these kids receiving those coats, particularly with the awareness of the cold weather, assures that they will certainly be put to good use.”
While there are currently no plans for additional donations this year, Casazza hinted at the likelihood of future events next year, underlining the organization’s commitment to charitable work and assisting those in need.
Email Adriana Montes at amontes@catholicreview.org
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