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Union coat drive provides needed warmth
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .On Dec. 16, the Union PTO donated a collection of coats to New Life Church in Poland as part of their first-annual Coat Drive. Community and PTO representatives, as well as Union students, gathered to celebrate the success of their drive before handing over their collection. The group are, from left, JoAnn Mirone (front) of New Life Church, Adeline Schweers, Dino-Mario D'Alesio, Lainie Raybuck, Mike Heher of Republic Waste Services, Emma Ebie (back), PTO representatives Aimee Schweers and Carol D'Alesio, Antonio D'Alesio, Carmen D'Alesio, and Anita Oles, coordinator of New Life Church's food pantry.
By SARAH FOOR
Thanks to community support and giving students, the Union Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization collected more than 200 coats during December that will help keep kids and families warm this winter.
The project was the first coat drive for the Union PTO.
“We wanted to teach Union students about the importance of giving and show that there is need right here in Poland, as well as all through the Mahoning Valley. Poland is a very generous community,” shared PTO co-chair of the event, Carol D’Alesio.
Mike Heher, division manager of Republic Waste Services, donated recycling bins to the school to help house the coat collection.
Union families and students donated nearly 200 gently-used winter coats during the drive. The PTO was pleasantly surprised when an anonymous donor handed over 10 brand new coats to be added to the collection.
The collection was divided equally, and half are headed to New Life Church in Poland and the other half to the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley. The new coats are also being divided among the two locations.
On Dec. 16, New Life Church representatives JoAnn Mirone and Anita Oles came to pick up their half of the coat haul.
Oles, who is coordinator of the food pantry at the church, said many people are surprised to find people in need in the Poland community.
“We feed over 450 families a month at the church, but people are in need in more ways than just hunger. We see so many kids without proper coats and we can’t let that continue during our cold Ohio winters. Union organized a really wonderful program and we’re appreciative of their support,” Oles said.