Successful Coat and Boot Drive Helps Hundreds of Kids

Kids on Campus program manager Jo Ellen Sherow, third from left, accepts a donation from Oakview Dermatology.

The bitter cold experienced in January may have been a bit more tolerable for hundreds of children in the area thanks to the efforts of Kids on Campus within OHIO’s College of Health Sciences and Professions and the generosity of others.

According to Jo Ellen Sherow, program manager for Kids on Campus, approximately 300 coats and 160 pairs of boots were collected and distributed following a drive held in November and December.

“The response was overwhelming and truly heartwarming,” Sherow said. “It made a huge difference to our communities and there are a lot of kids that are warmer now because of that.”

The beneficiaries include students in the Alexander, Trimble, Federal Hocking, Athens and Southern (Perry County) school districts.

The callout was for new or gently-used coats and new boots and the community responded. Support was greatly appreciated from AFSCME Local 1699, Rocky Boots and Oakview Dermatology. AFSCME Local 1699 also collected two large boxes of hats and gloves for area children as well.