Hundreds of kids in south Atlanta get free winter coats
By Madeline Montgomery
Click here for updates on this story
ATLANTA, Georgia (WANF) — Hundreds of kids in south Atlanta have something warm to wear this winter thanks to FedEx Cares and Operation Warm.
“It’s really, really cold,” said one third grader.
This a common complaint as temperatures drop into the 20s in metro Atlanta and it’s not even winter yet.
“They work with people in the local communities to figure out the best spot to go in,” said Doak Sley, a regional VP for FedEx.
In Atlanta, that spot is Perkerson Elementary School.
“It almost breaks your heart. Those jackets we give out, some of those kids, it’s the first jacket they’ve ever received,” said Sley.
Affording new clothes for kids can be hard. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, apparel prices are up 5% from last year, another symptom of supply chain problems and inflation.
“When they go through that growth spurt, no telling how long that jacket will fit and you hope they have a brother or sister they can pass it down to,” said Sley.
On Friday, 380 students received brand-new jackets.
“This is my favorite color,” said one 9-year-old.
“Just the smiles on their face and you don’t know these kids and they’ll come up and give a big hug and thank you,” said Sley.
Since 2008, FedEx Cares and Operation Warm have given out 957,000 coats to kids in need across the U.S. and Canada.
Perkerson Elementary is one of 29 schools in the U.S. getting these coats.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
