Hamburg News

Posted by Eileen Hotho
 

BOOTS, JACKETS, COATS & more

While TV ads promote the latest toys and electronics of the holiday season, 195 families met volunteer shoppers at Sears in the McKinley Mall to purchase new, warm, winter clothing for their children.  Parents, grandparents and foster parents came from Hamburg, Blasdell, Lake View, Angola, Eden, North Collins, Evans, Derby and Brant.  When they left Sears, their youngsters had items like jackets, coats, boots, pajamas and sweaters to get them through another cold, western New York winter.  Over 450 children have been assisted through this year’s Warm the Children program.
 
Warm the Children was recently awarded a $5,000 grant from Ronald McDonald House Charities.  Pictured (left to right):  Hamburg Rotary President, Barbara Stanley, Rotarian, Earl Knauss, Warm the Children coordinator, Elizabeth Angelbeck and Joseph Ferrino, a McDonald’s Operator and member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Grant Review Committee.
 
“I’ve never spent $200 all at one time on clothing for my family!” exclaimed one grateful mother.  “The Sears staff was so helpful, kind and nice to the families… in fact the cashier who checked us out was crying as we left, saying that Warm the Children is such a good cause for children in need,” said longtime, volunteer shopper, Janice Hood.
 
Warm the Children is a program led by the Rotary Club of Hamburg, with assistance from the Town of Hamburg Lions Club, Evans Bank and Sears in the McKinley Mall.  In its 10th year, the club works with school districts, agencies like the Salvation Army and local churches to identify families in need.  Warm the Children relies solely on the generosity of community members and local businesses for donations.  “100% of all tax-deductible contributions go toward the purchase of new clothing,” emphasizes program coordinator, Elizabeth Angelbeck.
 
First time volunteer shopper, Kathy Wagner, who accompanied several families to Sears sent a heartfelt message to Warm the Children:  “The families want to thank you for the amazing program you run!  I have to say that I feel so blessed to have been able to watch the donations of others bring such important necessities to our families in need,” said Wagner.