I have 2 boys with special needs 4 kids total and an adopted nephew. I had to leave my job a year and a half ago I left my job to tend to their many needs. I received coats for my boys that I would never have afforded. It made me feel good that they could be kept warm. Thanks a bunch Operation Warm Inc.
Thank you so much for all your help. This has been incredible. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the children and young people receiving the jackets and shoes has helped them grow in self-esteem, developing confidence and hope by seeing someone care about them.
Our organization Citadel Of Faith Ministries had a event on June 2025, the families and children were excited and very appreciative of the coat we provided from Operation Warm. The coats were much needed in the community and Cuyahoga area.
Thank You,
Operation Warm
I had previous sent a video of how your donation of coats and shoes helped our community. One that has been forgotten since US STEEL abandoned the community the joy and unanswered need of the community is what was needed, and what was fulfilled by the coats and shoes you provided. In the words of a little boy seeing and trying on the shoes and his coat the one word he spoke summed it up when he turned and asked his mom was it really his to keep: she said yes and he said WOW!
Setting up a shopping-spree experience for under-resourced communities is an experience like no other. To see the joy on children's faces getting to pick out their very own coat and pair of shoes is inspiring and makes you want to do this every day if you could! Operation Warm has been an amazing partner and as an organization, they truly care about not only the experience for these children, but making sure the donated items are high quality and on trend to help boost confidence while keeping these kids warm and protected!
The Round Rock Area Serving Center is a food pantry and social services agency assisting 100,000 people annually. One of the programs is Keep Round Rock Warm which is a coats for kids project serving the students of Round Rock ISD who enrolled in the Free & Reduced Lunch program. It is such a joy to see the children pick out their new coat and we truly appreciate our partnership with Operation Warm to provide the wonderful coats.
Operation Warm has served the deaf and blind children of Utah through the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind Education Foundation with coats and shoes over the last couple of years. The coats and shoes are great quality, great style and have helped so many children stay warm over the winter. We are very grateful to Operation Warm and their generous donations.
The coats and shoes were very helpful to many families in need!
THANK YOU Operation Warm for your generosity in serving the deaf and blind children in Utah who are in need!
Operation Warm has been such a blessing to so many communities and the children we serve.
They go above and beyond to make sure new coats and shoes are sent out to all their partners.
Stop The Violence Prayer Chain Foundation is just one of their partners who distribute the coats and shoes for less fortunate children and their families.
Operation Warm is such a worthy cause.
Please continue to donate to Operation Warm to help them make a difference.
What a joy and a privilege it is to be able to participate in a coat and/or shoe gifting event with Operation Warm. My volunteer experience in October 2022 with Operation Warm was such an incredibly humbling and rewarding experience that I became a Community Impact Volunteer! The gift of a coat truly does mean so much more than simply providing physical warmth when you see the gratitude and happiness on the faces of the children and the school staff. More than what we receive as volunteers is the gift of appreciation for nonprofits like Operation Warm that provide physical as well as emotional warmth!
Our union Local has joined many other entertainment unions in Chicago and across the country in support of Operation Warm. The mission to keep Chicago children warm during the cold winter months is one all Chicago workers can appreciate. Operation Warm pays close attention to the styles and colors of the jackets they make, demonstrating an understanding that style can inspire confidence, adding a little joy to the warmth of a good winter jacket. Operation Warm working with the Chicago Public Libraries provides a positive environment for volunteers to help fit children in warmth and style, we enjoy and look forward to participating in Operation Warm's mission.
Operation Warm truly focus on the whole community. From the children receiving brand new items and their families who have one less financial burden to the donors who make the gifting possible and the volunteers who help make the gifting seamless Operation Warm shows that it truly takes a village! The whole community must be engaged and its one of the most impactful ways that i engage with my community throughout the year
We have been partnering with Operation Warm now for 4+ years. It is truly one of the best parts of my job getting to distribute coats and or shoes to kids who truly need it. The care and attention to detail their team delivers is the best in the industry. We are very lucky to be partnered with Operation Warm.
Operation Warm came to my city in Simi Valley, CA and gifted 300 pairs of shoes to Park View Elementary. One of the little girls was so excited that she hugged me and said "I love you!" It's moments like those you can't forget.
I started volunteering last year. The way Operation Warm really cares about the children and the schools warms my heart. I love helping the community and they give me all the tools and resources to have a meaningful volunteer experience.
This is an amazing organization. The dedication of the staff and volunteers to serving children and their families is inspiring. The mission pillars of warmth, confidence, and hope are truly in the minds and hearts of the team at all times.
I've had the rare opportunity to volunteer with Operation Warm both in traditional events and in working with some of the leadership team on a strategic initiative. I can share two observations:
1. The leadership team is truly committed to helping underserved needs - being laser focused on finding was to help more kids, more effectively, and be a force for good in their lives
2. The kids that receive Operation Warm's donations, services, assistance light up in a way that touches the volunteers as well
Seeing the impact this organization has on these communities is moving. If you have resources to donate, it will change a child's life. If you have time to donate, it will change yours too.
I have wanted to make a difference in my local community for years; however, as a mother of two and a full time working professional, I just couldn't seem to find the time. I didn't want to just donate one hour of my time, then another hour somewhere else; flexibility and impact is what i was looking for . . . Operation Warm has been a warm environment that has allowed me to give back to my community and make a lasting impact. It has been so easy to get involved, I am supported as a community impact volunteer, and have enjoyed every minute. There is really nothing better than seeing the faces of the children and school faculty; as kids receive brand new coats and shoes! It really is #MoreThanACoat!
Operation Warm provides the most impactful volunteer experiences. Its so easy to get into the community with them and they make the experience worthwhile with how efficient they are and providing children items they not only need but love.
We have partnered with Operation Warm over the past few years and have been able supply beautiful, brand new, high quality, warm winter coats to hundreds of children in need. The coats have been a god send to the families in rural St. Lawrence County, NY where we experience long and cold winters. Without the wonderful folks at Operation Warm, we wouldn't be able to provide this wonderful service.
Operation Warm does incredible work bringing people together to help kids get shoes or coats that they otherwise might not have. They are great to work with and well organized.
Homer Congregational Church (Homer, NY) coordinates a Back to School event each August. We provide new sneakers, socks, underwear and hygiene items because we know that kids need more than paper and pencils for school. Operation Warm provided over 300 pairs of quality sneakers for our event that we can distribute to kids/families in need. The colors are fun - my 8-year old daughter approved! Kids need sturdy sneakers to stay active and healthy - to fully participate in physical education classes and have fun at recess. I'm really glad Operation Warm has recognized this need and has expanded their outreach to include sneakers, in addition to coats.
Operation Warm Inc. is a wonderful organization. I work for a nonprofit and they helped us provide back to school shoes for over 150 children.
Good afternoon my name is Glenn Mauldin or affectionally known as Coach Glenn I am the Sports Director for the Wilson-Gray YMCA in Hartford CT which is located in the fourth poorest city in the nation. At our youth and family center we service hundreds of families in our community on a yearly basis and to be able to provide youth with these wonderful gifts of sneakers have been truly a blessing . I would like to thank Operation Warmth Inc. for all that they have done and continue to do for communities like ours thanks you once again Coach Glenn.
Operation Warm Inc. was able to help put jackets on the backs of those in need. This equipped officers on the road and in schools with the item to provide to a child or adult who cannot afford one. Our motto is NO ONE should be out in the cold without proper warmth and Operation Warm Inc. makes this happen!
Operation Warm is phenomenal and has helped all of the families we service at our Early Head Start Program. Shoes and winter coats have been provided to our families for the last two years and the joy and relief it brings them can not be described! We appreciate our relationship with Operation Warm and look forward to working with them for years to come!!!!!
Operation Warm has been a great partner with Molina Healthcare of Washington. We have had several successful events and the OW team is a great group of people, truly making an impact with families and children across the nation.
Operation Warm is an amazing nonprofit organization! Not only do they provide brand-new coats and shoes (which are really durable and cute as well), they also work with so many area schools, organizations, service club members, and other groups in individual communities that no one would guess that they are a national organization.
We have been working with Operation Warm now for many years to bring beautiful, quality coats and shoes to kids who need them. The OW team goes out of their way to make sure that children receive a quality item that they can wear proudly! This organization genuinely cares about the children in our community and it is apparent in everything they do!
We are a private foundation and are proud to give to Operation Warm. They have made a difference in our community keeping kids warm!
Operation Warm staff and volunteers are truly heroes! There is nothing like helping a student put on a pair of brand new shoes or coat and they look at you and say "are these really mine to keep?". Many of our families have to choose between buying new shoes or a winter coat and putting food on the table. Most all of our students do not have a "new' anything and for them to receive a brand new pair of shoes or winter coat is something that is very special. Operation Warm is an outstanding organization that not only provides brand new shoes and coats for students in need, they give students confidence.
I have been working at Operation Warm for almost a year. Our mission is simple yet the results impactful in so many ways. Operation Warm employees are passionate in serving as many children as possible. The volunteers that attend a coat or shoe giving event are changed by witnessing the pure joy on faces of children as they receive a new coat or pair of shoes. As an employee, I am fortunate to attend many of these events and it never gets old. I’m proud to work for this outstanding organization.
Operation Warm was fantastic today! They gave 85 children brand new sneakers! I cannot say enough good things about the effect this had on the children at West Chester Area Day Care Center! The kids were smiling nonstop, we are so grateful!
I work at a public library and was approached by Operation Warm in 2020 about doing a coat giveaway - A Warm Welcome to the Library. It sounded too good to be true. Operation Warm offered a ton of helpful resources via an online toolkit which made the event a breeze to plan. The coat giveaway was a wonderful success. This year Operation Warm approached us again about doing a shoe giveaway. All the families loved the shoes. We cannot wait to work with Operation Warm again.
Amazing organization that is making a difference in communities across our nation! Staff are wonderful and easy to work with! Their mission is heartfelt and truly needed in our area.
Thanks to Operation Warm, our club was able to meet our goal of providing coats and shoes to children in need in our community. Operation Warm is a great resource for this type project. The availability of products met our needs and the turnaround time from order to receiving was less than expected. We received the order between 2 and 3 weeks. The orders came in at a time when the coats and shoes were really needed. In addition, dealing with the friendly and professional staff at Operation Warm helped us to complete our order with confidence. Sara was really great to work with!! Thank you Operation Warm for being there. We are a small non-profit and you became a great resource that we look for to doing business with again.
Operation Warm is wonderful. We are able to provide warm coats to children and families in our community. The coats are nice quality and come in a variety of colors. The customer service is also great with Operation Warm. Their responses are timely and everyone is friendly.
For the past several months I have been fortunate to be able to work with Operation Warm. I'm thankful for the opportunity to be able to work alongside caring and passionate individuals who genuinely care about children's wellbeing. I have seen the smiles on children's faces in response to the gift of a brand-new coat or pair of shoes.
Our Knights of Columbus Council # 10940 has ordered coats for our Coats for Kids program, for the last 4 years, from Operation Warm. Operation Warm is very responsive when I have questions or inquiries concerning their process. The ordering process is extremely easy, and delivery of the product is done quickly. Their coats are reasonably priced, and the quality and appearance of the coats are outstanding. We receive so many positive comments about the quality of their coats. I would definitely recommend Operation Warm to any organization wanting to start a coat program.
Volunteering at Operation Warm was an amazing experience. Every single person working or volunteering at Operation Warm, is extremely dedicated to their role and genuinely love helping children in need. This experienced opened my eyes to the amount of children in need of shoes and coats, that other children have the luxury of not having to worry about. I am honored that I was able to be apart of this amazing nonprofit and give back to those in need.
Operation warm brings heart, organization, and good communication skills to successful community events.
We hosted a coat drive for Operation Warm. The folks at Operation Warm were great to work with and I credit them for things running so smoothly. Customers were so appreciative. There was just a joyfulness in the air. The kids were so happy with the color choices and they loved picking out the color they wanted. The coats were very nice. We were so grateful to be a part of this event; it really lifted our spirits! Thank you to everyone at Operation Warm- we can't wait to do it again!
“On behalf of the students, parents, and staff at Nat Q. Henderson ES, I would like to personally “Thank” Operation Warm for donating Coats for students to keep warm this Winter. The students were so excited to get new coats. We were able to capture a lot of great pictures of students smiling, dancing, and overjoyed with excitement. It warms my heart every day, to see the students walk to school daily with nice warm coats. The active support of the community and organizations such as Operation Warm, helps support students growth and increase achievement. Operation Warm’s willingness to help and ensure students at Nat Q. Henderson have the resources they need is truly appreciated. We are all extremely grateful for Operation Warm’s generosity, trust, and most importantly, the commitment to ensure our students’ academic success.”
Thu, Feb 4, 2020 4:33 PM
to Support, Sarah
God afternoon – Karen Bell from Faith Fellowship Ministries International here wanting to touch base with you and update you on our efforts.
When we started this process back in November, little did we know the world would change so drastically in just a matter of weeks. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has crippled the families and households who were already experiencing hardships and living at or below the poverty level is immeasurable. Many of the low-income parents we’ve encountered whose job situations were already unstable have either lost their jobs or had a reduction in their hours and pay. Food insecurities, lack of access to care [which is what I see on a daily basis working for a non-profit oral health care organization] and an unstable home environment are just a few examples of the struggles, barriers, and challenges they continue to face on a daily basis. As a church family, we continue to extend ourselves, offer assistance, and pool our resources to help as many individuals and families as we can. Any glimmer of hope we can offer, service we can provide, or need we can meet in these days and times is satisfying beyond measure.
I have to say that in all my years of service, being able to provide a coat for a child was never so crucial and impactful as it has been these past months. Operation Warm has been a beacon to our community during one of the most devastating public health crisis that I, many of our church members, and community leaders have ever experienced. My apologies for the soapbox speech, but I had to let you all know how important partnering with the Governor's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has proven to be. With your support we are truly making a difference in the lives of low-income, at-risk families in Middletown and surrounding communities in Butler County.
In closing, I want to report that coat distribution continues and we should be able to distribute any remaining coats by the end of this month. If we do need a bit more time I will respectfully use this email as an opportunity to ask for an additional week or two. I look forward to sending in our report, all of the required paperwork, the pictures, and the thank you notes we’ve been collecting to pass along to you to share with your staff, colleagues, and most importantly, the donors and supporters of this program. Thank you again for all you do.
In appreciation,
Karen Marie Bell
Board Member/Volunteer
Faith Fellowship Ministries International
Middletown, OH
Bishop David Green, Jr., Pastor
Words do not do justice of the joy, fun and dignity for the families that attended and to those we will be able to touch with new kicks throughout our other programs. You and your staff did a fantastic job and made our organization of this event very easy. We are so grateful.
Ranee Shipley
Volunteer Coordinator
JEVS Human Services
At Walter M. Senkow Elementary School our current mission, especially during the current pandemic, is to respond to our students' realities beyond the walls of our classrooms and school. Operation Warm has supported our mission by eliminating barriers that impede our students from attaining academic success and growth. Providing our students and families with coats have tremendously supported them as they travel to and from school in this new hybrid learning model. Offering warmth and a sense of security has strengthened our schools partnerships with families, even from a distance. Thank you Operation Warm!
I have been working with low income families in our school division for over 20 years. We happen to be in a climate that demands proper outer wear throughout the winter months. Every year, I have found myself scrambling to outfit children with the bare necessities to keep them safe and warm. This year our school was so fortunate to be offered the help of operation warm!! It has been an amazing experience for our kids. Students have been given the opportunity to "shop" for a new winter jacket and have walked away, new jacket in hand, beaming. This initiative has helped so many children in need, including new Canadian's who are sometimes ill prepared when the cold weather comes. Thank you so much for helping our school community in such a meaningful way, you have truly made a difference.
I have been volunteering with Operation Warm for 5 years now with this year that I had a lead role at our event. Operation Warm makes hosting an event super easy from the fundraising to ordering coats. I love being able to support my community with an event like Operation Warm.
Operation Warm provides the coats that are so desperately needed by our children along with the dignity of having a new garment. These are such unique times and the need for Operation Warm is exponentially greater. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to donate to this organization.
I had the pleasure of interning with Operation Warm this past spring and it was truly an amazing experience. The team is filled with friendly, compassionate people who genuinely care about what they're doing. Even through the transition to online work through COVID 19, the company remained committed to their mission and adapted very well to these unforeseen circumstances. Overall, I feel that Operation Warm provided a nurturing environment for me as an intern as they do for everyone they meet!
Our company as well as our own non-profit, The Delaware KIDS Fund has been a proud partner with Operation Warm since 2017.
We decided to partner with Operation Warm after learning the statistics in our own community of our local elementary children living at or below the poverty line. In that same conversation, we also learned the impact of something as simple as a brand new coat can have a child. It has a compounding effect.
It immediately boosts self-esteem. It creates a sense of peer acceptance which instantly increases confidence which ultimately changes the mindset of a young child. They go back to the classroom (and home) inspired. We have witnessed it first hand and we have the honor of experiencing that instance once a year. We use this partnership and platform to help inspire other local businesses to get involved and we are proud to say we have been successful at that. We have been able to purchase over 6,000 coats, for 6,000 elementary students at 12 different schools since 2017. The team at Operation Warm is AMAZING and they work from the heart all day, every day. It has been such a great partnership and has evolved into one our most important relationships to date. #itsmorethanacoat #communitystrong!
Partnering with Operation Warm has allowed us to give every child in need in the Worcester Public Schools a brand new, colorful, fun coat! They have a dedicated team that makes the process so easy. We love our collaboration with OW because their mission matches our mission ~ that every coat given to a child fosters not only warmth and confidence, but tells that child ‘we care about you!’
Operation Warm is such a wonderful organization. Seeing the smiles on the kids faces is priceless. Every child deserves a brand new coat to keep warm.
Operation Warmth has provided wonderful warm winter coats for our Mission organization over the last several years. I have certainly noticed how a new coat has raised the esteem level of so many of our children and adults too.
Many of the Rotary Clubs in District 6440 have partnered successfully with Operation Warm to serve their local communities. The product, the response, and their passion for doing good makes them a pleasure to work with.
I did a lemonade stand to raise money for coats for kids who don't have one. I'm only 8 and I raised enough money for only 1 coat but Mr. Sanford sent me a letter to thank me! It made me feel so happy and makes me want to keep raising money for them because they really care.
I came on to help run their Google Ads Grant Program. Everyone I have worked with has been amazing. They truly seem to care about what they are doing, which is why I volunteered my time. I can't say enough good things about this organization and am excited to see it do well.
I've worked for Operation Warm for almost 5 years. Although our mission is simple, the impact significant. We work hard to provide excellent support to our partners whether they are a community organization serving a small amount of children in their community or one of our large corporate partners serving children all across the US. I am grateful to work with an smart and dedicated group of individuals who are committed to making the world a better place!
We're in the third year of our organization's partnership with Operation Warm and are thrilled to keep the program going strong. Operation Warm has brought hundreds of coats and books to children in Baltimore, attracting dozens of new customers to the library's mission of access to information, books, high-quality programming and community resources. My favorite part is the smile from every child who loves their new coat and new book!
I am a member of the Taylor Rotary Club in Michigan. I heard about the Operation Warm organization at a District Rotary Conference years ago. We partnered with them and helped service our community by generating funds to purchase jackets from Operation Warm. It is an easy organization to work with and they are very flexible in adapting to your needs in making your local program work . Over the years, 9 years, we were able to generate funds to donate over 3000 winter jackets to the needy in our community. The other critical point is that the winter jackets are of a good quality at a good price.
Operation warm gave new coats to Our students in the South Bronx about 2 years ago. My students made a thank you card and it was posted on the Operation Warm Website. I was so excited. Thank you Operation Warm for helping us keep our students Warm.
We are a Community School located in Brownsville NY. We serve one of the highest school populations with families in temporary housing who experience food and housing insecurity. The warm coats donation was a huge blessing to our school and their families. It helped to meet a huge human need.
Absolutely terrific team. These guys are as committed as it gets – working surprisingly well alongside other businesses and non-profits to ultimately achieve their goal of supplying impoverished kids with much-needed coats on both a local and national scale. Super cool non-profit with a particularly unique and necessary cause.
As a secular Oblate of St. Benedict for St. Procopius Abbey, researched who might be collecting coats because a couple churches had stopped. Found Operation Warm. They make brand new coats that children appreciate in their favorite colors. I like the stories on Facebook and let friends know.
I have witnessed the happiness in the children's faces when they receive their brand-new coat. What joy and happiness it brings to a child in need.
I am not just a donor, but an employee as well. Every day I get to see the good that Operation Warm does, from giving kids a gift of warmth to supporting growth in American jobs.
I worked as an intern with Operation Warm during the Summer of 2012. My only regret is that I was not able to spend more time assisting this benevolent organization. Even though it was not the coat-giving time of year, I still felt as though my efforts had a substantial impact. I was assigned a variety of tasks ranging from corporate grant research to updating website tool-kits. This variety kept daily tasks interesting, and helped me to develop a myriad of useful skills that I will use in future job opportunities. I would recommend volunteering with Operation Warm to anyone who is interested in helping the community, enhancing work-related skills, or looking to build a resume.
I've been volunteering as an intern with Operation Warm for almost a year and it's been a tremendously rewarding experience. I've heard first hand from people benefiting from their organization and their gratitude towards those working to make their community a better place. Although it's based in Pennsylvania and a large amount of their fundraising goes back to the surrounding areas, I've fielded calls from across the country reiterating the same sentiments. With over one million coats already distributed to children in need, they are still constantly challenging themselves to help more and expand their reach. Working with this organization has opened my eyes not only to the problem facing underprivileged in our country, but that there are thousands of volunteers and campaigns to do something to stop it. I could not recommend working with or working for this organization more highly.
I was involved with Operation Warm during the 2011-2012 academic school year as an Intern, specifically for the Delaware Challenge initiative. I am a student at the University of Delaware and was initially nervous to have an internship during the academic year. However, Operation Warm is an incredible organization and the program was fantastically easy to balance. I was responsible for initiating contact with local high schools to engage students to fund raise and get involved with OW. Through this experience I realized how dedicated the staff are to their goal of providing children living in poverty with a new winter coat. What seems like a small contribution to a child's life is now understood by me to be monumental. My intern manager was dedicated, hands-on, and available whenever me and my fellow interns needed guidance or support with our tasks. As interns we received a plethora of useful resources ranging from tool kits to provide for our engaged high school groups, to innovative presentations that clearly convey the organizations goals and structure. Operation Warm has a focused and clear goal as a non-profit combined with a passionate, well-qualified staff, and these two aspects continue to drive this outstanding non-profit organization.
I volunteered with Operation Warm this past spring and was astounded by the level of dedication everyone has in helping children all over the country. I was their for the distribution of their one millionth coat and it truly was heart-warming to see the smiles on the children's and parent's faces. I feel proud to have been a part of something so great.
I was a volunteer intern at Operation Warm this past summer. It was an amazing and fulfilling experience. I helped to plan the first distribution event of the season at the Philadelphia Zoo. The look on those children's faces when they received their new coats were priceless. It is quite possible that participating in such a special effort has done more for me than what we did for those children. I know, from firsthand experience, that those recipient schools and organizations come from an often overlooked and downtrodden area of West Philadelphia. This event help to remind them that they are not forgotten, and that someone somewhere cares. I am truly blessed by my time at Operation Warm.
I became involved with Operation Warm (OW) as an intern because I want to make a difference for youth who are faced with poverty. I am impressed with the large scale production of new coats that are distributed across 33 states! This year Operation Warm will give away its one millionth coat.
My internship for Operation Warm has been an amazing experience. It has allowed me to learn new skills, work collaboratively with an amazing and creative staff, and to help others. I participated as a volunteer at the Philadelphia Zoo coat distribution event and enjoyed watching the children’s excitement and smiles as they received their new coats. The event also promoted recycling by encouraging children to bring in plastic bottles. As a former teacher from an environmentally focused charter school, it is great to see children becoming active stewards of their environment. The distribution was well-organized and promoted a sense of community.
In addition to relieving a financial burden for parents, Operation warm is also committed to alleviating poverty by increasing employment opportunities. This year, Operation Warm will begin a partnership with MOJO, an organization that will provide employment for single moms to produce new coats for OW to distribute. I am excited to support Operation Warm as it continues to grow and reach out to even more children in need.