Knights of Columbus Distribute Winter Coats to Special Needs Children in Wisconsin
On Wednesday, January 20, members of the Knights of Columbus distributed new winter coats to underprivileged children at the Arbor Vitae Woodruff School. Father Dodge Council 7827 in conjunction with the Wisconsin State Council of the Knights of Columbus carried out the distribution as part of the Knights “Coats for Kids” charitable initiative in Wisconsin.
This distribution follows upon an earlier and equally well received distribution in Berlin, Wisconsin. Other distributions are planned for the Milwaukee Diocese.
This event was part of the second annual Coats for Kids program of the Knights of Columbus. Similar distributions by local councils have taken place in cold weather cities across the U.S and Canada, and many more distributions are in the works in the weeks to come. In total, the Knights of Columbus will distribute approximately 10,000 Ultimate Apparel coats this winter to underprivileged children.
The initiative began last year in an effort to help families with children living in colder climates who have been severely impacted by the sharp and sudden downturn in the economy.
“As our nation faces tough economic times, we believe it is very important to respond within our communities in concrete ways to help those most in need,” said Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson. “Helping children in need was a fundamental reason for the formation of the Knights of Columbus in 1882 and continues to be a very important component of our work today.”
The Coats for Kids program is part of the Knights’ Help a Child in Need campaign, which began in 2006 with a nationwide television appeal during the Christmas season for donations to charities that support the needs of children.
If you have any questions about the program, please contact Robert Ennis, director of Fraternal Operations and Programs at (203) 752-4616 or Peter Sonski, director of Public Relations at (203) 752-4182.