On Friday, January 26, 2024, Manchester Proud worked together with the Manchester School District to coordinate and distribute 200 brand-new coats to our students. This effort was part of Operation Warm, a national nonprofit whose mission is to provide winter coats and shoes to children in need. Operation Warm partners with corporations and organizations who fundraise, deliver, and distribute these items to students all over the country. 

“In our cold New England winters, a good, warm coat is a necessity, whether you’re walking to school or playing outside with friends,” said Superintendent Jennifer Chmiel Gillis. “Operation Warm helps meet a critical need, bringing us new, high-quality coats for the students that need them the most. We are incredibly grateful for the program’s continued efforts, as well as for the Bean Foundation, which provided the funding. We would also like to thank Manchester Proud, which helped coordinate the donations. As I often say, we are stronger together – this is just another great example of how our students benefit when the community comes together.”

“The Bean Foundation would like to thank Operation Warm and Manchester Proud for ensuring that students in Manchester are provided with warm coats,” said Bean Foundation Director, Leslee Stewart. “The Bean Foundation is proud to support this important community effort.”

You can learn more about Operation Warm here: https://www.operationwarm.org/