Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
Death toll in Texas reaches 129 as flash flood threat expands. Chevron right
Life-threatening flash flooding ongoing across central Texas. Get the forecast Chevron right

Columbus, OH

76°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

76°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

News / Weather News

The story of how 58 coats led to helping millions of children

When cold weather hits, Operation Warm is there to help the most vulnerable in society.

By Adriana Navarro, AccuWeather staff writer

Published Jan 14, 2020 4:41 PM EDT

Copied

AccuWeather recently partnered with Operation Warm to help provide coats to hundreds of students at a Pennsylvania school. Find out how it all started with one man's action.

Early in December, children at Penn-Lincoln Elementary gathered in the gym to shop for a new winter coat. AccuWeather Broadcast Meteorologist Brittany Boyer recalls children at the event trying on coats and not wanting to take them off when it came time to write their name in their new jackets.

"Some of these kids at this elementary school didn't have a winter coat," Boyer said. "An object many take for granted is one that others don't even have the opportunity to have."

Operation Warm hosted the event to give away brand new, warm winter coats to children in need. The charity filled the gym up with tables topped with the jackets of a variety of different colors and sizes. Each of the children was able to browse the selection and choose the one they wanted to take home.

Each jacket given was brand new, unlike in a coat drive where gently used jackets are donated. With AccuWeather's sponsorship, Operation Warm was able to provide enough winter coats for every child of an elementary school in Altoona, Pennsylvania, to go home with a coat free of charge.

AccuWeather staff like Boyer and Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski attended the event to help distribute the coats amongst the students.

AccuWeather staff visited Penn-Lincoln Elementary in December to help distribute coats for Operation Warm. (Twitter/@AliciaBettes)

"I was astonished that some of these kids walked 2 miles to school," Pydynowski said. "But each kid had a smile on their face. I loved seeing how all of my fellow team members were so engaged with the kids. I looked over and saw some of my co-workers dancing with the kids and doing push-ups. They were so engaging and I think that helped the kids feel more comfortable."

The event hit close to home for some of the AccuWeather staff.

"I grew up in a working class household with little money to spare, sometimes having to rely on the generosity of family members for something like a new coat," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Randy Adkins said. "That’s not to say that my parents weren't working hard, but life is sometimes more difficult, and being one of three boys who grew quickly and were extremely active made it even more so."

Remembering generosity he and his family had received in their time of need, he wanted to pay it forward by helping out a local community in need.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

The charity was founded a little over 20 years ago. In 1998, Dick Sanford was driving through his hometown of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, when he spotted a group of children huddled together at a school bus stop one freezing December morning. Moved by the sight, he changed course, going to the department store and buying all 58 coats left in stock to distribute to children who needed them. His actions, however, have changed more than just 58 lives. The charity has since distributed more than 3 million coats to children across North America.

"Many families living in poverty struggle to provide necessities like food, housing, clothing and child care. The gift of a brand new coat offers hope to both children and their parents, reminding them there are those in their community that care about their well-being and future," Operation Warm says on its site.

Related:

Nurse hailed as hero for bravery during one of last decade's most extreme weather disasters
TV meteorologist spent 18 straight hours on live TV during extreme weather outbreak
When a cataclysmic storm left his community with next to nothing, this man gave all he had
Photo of encounter between officer and homeless man went viral

"For some families a new coat for a growing child isn't an option," Boyer said. "I helped boys and girls pick out coats who were wearing one that they had outgrown. Some kids were walking to school in sweatshirts because their family could not afford to buy a new jacket. Some kids were fortunate enough to have a coat passed down from an older family member."

In the U.S. alone, about 15 million children live in families with incomes below the federal poverty threshold. That measures up to about 21% of all children. The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) cites that research shows the average family needs an income about twice the amount of that threshold to actually cover basic expenses. Taking this into consideration, about 43% of children live in low-income families.

About 19% of children live below the poverty line in Pennsylvania, according to the NCCP. The national average of children in poor families is also 19%.

"Honestly, the kids helped many of us – we gave them jackets, but they further instilled in us the sense of what life is really about – helping those less fortunate than you and making a difference in kids' lives," Pydynowski said.

You can help AccuWeather and Operation Warm provide the gift of a brand new coat by donating here.


Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the 
AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

Report a Typo
Comments that don't add to the conversation may be automatically or manually removed by Facebook or AccuWeather. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.
Comments
Hide Comments

Weather News

Weather News

Evacuations ordered as flooding returns to central Texas

Jul. 13, 2025
Weather News

Death toll reaches 129 in Texas as new flash flood threat expands

Jul. 13, 2025
Hurricane

Tropical trouble in the Atlantic may brew this week

Jul. 13, 2025
video

Before-and-after pictures show devastation caused by Texas floods

Jul. 9, 2025
Severe Weather

Severe weather to rumble in the central US through the holiday weekend

Jul. 6, 2025
Weather News

Record sargassum seaweed piles up on Caribbean islands, Gulf

Jul. 2, 2025
Weather News

Alabama teen in ICU after lightning strike hits boat, causing burns an...

Jul. 2, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather Forecasts

Thunderstorms fuel increasing flash flooding threat in Texas

10 hours ago

Weather News

Engine fuel supply cut just before Air India jet crash, report says

18 hours ago

Weather News

Texas Hill Country: Before, during and after the flood

1 day ago

Weather News

Flash flooding swamps Iowa Quad Cities as storms unleash damaging rain

1 day ago

Severe Weather

Rounds of severe weather to rumble in the central US into midweek

10 hours ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Health

How can families handle new anxieties around summer camp?

2 days ago

Weather News

Viral pygmy hippo Moo Deng celebrates her first birthday

2 days ago

Weather News

Orcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why?

2 days ago

Business

Samsung is looking into more AI devices potentially including earrings...

2 days ago

Weather News

The US has a plan to breed millions of flies and drop them from planes

3 days ago

AccuWeather Weather News The story of how 58 coats led to helping millions of children
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...