Operation Warm Donates More Than 300 Coats To Camden Students In Need

CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) - Kids at a South Camden school are sporting new coats Wednesday, thanks to some corporate generosity.

In the library of the Riletta Cream School, 350 kids picked out and tried on brand new coats.

"We have kids saying to us, 'Do I get to keep this coat?'" said program director Heather Connolly.

They do, thanks to the Chadds Ford-based nonprofit Operation Warm, where Heather Connolly is program director.

"In a lot of cases, these kids have never received anything new." said Connolly.

The school's family operations coordinator Brittany Haley says new coats are truly needed.

"This area of Camden, that these students live in, everybody is poverty-stricken," said Haley.

On this chilly morning, seventh grader Ollie Damon wore a light jacket.

"It was all right. But this coat feels way warmer," said Damon.

This giveaway was funded with volunteer time and $25,000 from Horizon Services, says co-owner Mark Aitken.

"We think it's really, really important for the culture of the company to try to make a difference in peoples' lives.  And it's super important to us to give back," said Aitken.