In recent months, volunteers from several GSF Foundation teams have partnered with local schools and nonprofits to donate about 100 winter coats to help kids stay warm, healthy, and in school. The QCD Albuquerque team delivered more than 60 coats to elementary school children in their community, while GSF Irvine provided at-risk teens at two local youth shelters with new coats during the holiday season.
“When cold weather arrives, children and families face increased hardship, which makes buying a warm coat a luxury that many cannot afford,” said Vanessa Hugon, Program and Development Manager for the GSF Foundation. “The GSF Foundation’s Coats for Kids program offers so much more than just literal warmth. The simple gift of a winter coat can warm a heart and nurture the dignity of a child, which lasts much longer than the season or two that the coat will fit them.”
Coats for Kids is a core program of the GSF Foundation, along with Back(pack) to School, Best Foot Forward, GSFF’s Bike Building events, and several hunger alleviation programs, such as Focus on Food. Over the past two decades, these associate-led, associate-funded programs have helped improve the quality of life for children and families in the communities where GSF associates live and work.