Campaign seeks new winter clothes for homeless students through Feb. 13

It has been a decade since the Governor’s Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens orchestrated the first campaign to provide warm winter items to school districts for homeless children in Delaware.

The council is again looking for donations of new hats, coats, scarves, gloves, buntings, snow suits, footie pajamas, blankets, comforters, sleeping bags, snow pants and hoodies for homeless children and foster care children from birth through 18 years of age.

This year’s distribution will be Friday, Feb. 14, at schools and foster care programs across Delaware.

“The thought behind it is to provide a warm comfy hug to Delaware’s homeless and children in foster care. We do this through warm winter clothes,” said Wendy Strauss, executive director of the Governor’s Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens.

This campaign originally started as Project Hug and Sleeping Bag Campaign. “Sleeping bags gave children something they could carry from place to place that is theirs, a comfort item providing a sense of security,” said Strauss.

Some claim that this is too late for such a campaign.

Strauss said, “Some of the items do go to students this winter. Mostly the schools need their inventory restocked so they have it when the need arises at the beginning and throughout the school year. Right now, retail stores are reducing their winter wear, so it is a good time to buy and donate to the campaign.”

Donations will be accepted until Thursday, Feb. 13, at 30 drop-off locations throughout the state. In Sussex County, donations may be dropped off at Woodbridge and Sussex Tech high schools.

For more information, go to www.gacec.delaware.gov or contact Kathie Cherry at 302-739-4553 or Kathie.cherry@gacec.k12.de.us.