Coats for Kids project warms Pangburn youth
PANGBURN — Coats galore are spread out in a room being prepared for Pangburn School District students to go “shopping.” A variety of colors, sizes, textures and styles are available for free, courtesy of the Coats for Kids project, which aims to provide warmth and care through coats, gloves, hats and scarves to ward off the impact of Old Man Winter.
Project organizers hope to receive donations of 250 to 300 coats — gently used or new. An early-October date is projected for handing out the winter wear. Letters went home to parents of the 740-student district earlier this month with a cutoff date to reply with information on students’ ages, grade levels and gender so their needs for warm items can be fulfilled, said Shannon Galyan, one of the organizers of the drive and Gifted and Talented coordinator for the school district.
Forms were to be returned by Monday; then the donated coats would be taken to D&E Cleaners in Heber Springs, which has offered to clean the coats free of charge.
Anyone who wants to donate items after the cutoff date may call Kent Presley at (501) 206-5457, Galyan at (501) 827-7112 or the school at (501) 728-4912.
A room with racks built by the school’s agriculture department will house the coats, and the dates of shopping for coats will be announced later by the school, with times likely to be scheduled for before and after school. If an evening distribution time is needed, that could be in the works as well.
Recently, students unloaded bags of coats and took them to the room in the Administration Building that has been designated for the coats project. Once the coats are sorted, readied for the cleaners and then returned, they will be arranged by size and adorned with tags reading “Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12). Students are also mulling over their favorite Bible verses to write one on a slip of paper to include in the pocket of each coat for a personalized touch.
Galyan said that while all students in kindergarten through the 12th grade are welcome to shop for coats at the giveaway, she believes the
need may be greater in the younger grades.
“It breaks my heart seeing a kid come to school who is in the first grade wearing Mother’s or Dad’s coat that does not fit, …with the sleeves rolled up,” she said.
Coats in all styles, fabrics and sizes will be accepted to meet students’ preferences and needs.
“We need new or gently used coats for children, infant sizes up to adult sizes, hoodies, hats, scarfs, gloves, and light-weight and heavy coats,” a flyer on the program states. The items can be dropped off at Pangburn schools or at any of the participating churches, which include First Baptist, First United Methodist, McJester Baptist, Mountain Home Union, Pleasant Valley Baptist and Pine View Church of Christ, all churches in the Pangburn School District.
Students unpacking the coats recently were enthusiastic as they oohed and aahed over some of the donations, as well as being excited about providing coats for other children. There were pink fuzzy jackets, as well as coats in berry-colored suede, camouflage and multicolored shiny tapestry. Some of the coats were new and had the tags still on them, and some coats had notes indicating they had already been cleaned.
All of this effort stems from the Ultimate Weekend, an interdenominational event sponsored by churches in the Pangburn area.
“Another successful Ultimate Weekend where students get to stay as guests with community families is in the books,” Galyan said. “Ultimate Weekend 15 was held Aug. 7-9 with 86 students in grades seven through 12 from the Pangburn community participating in the event.”
At the event, a planning group got together and tossed around ideas for community service projects as it does each year, Galyan said. One year, a family was adopted at Christmas to provide gifts and food. Another year, the Stirrups and Smiles organization was given money; a contribution to provide school supplies had also been made.
Students at the Ultimate Weekend hold car washes during the weekend, and this year, about $950 was raised, which will be used for the Coats for Kids project.
“Encouraging concepts in giving back to the community, … looking toward the needs of others, spurred the concept of Coats for Kids,” Galyan said. “The goal is to make sure all the kids in Pangburn Public Schools have the appropriate outerwear to keep them warm this upcoming winter.”
Kathy Berryhill, Pangburn School District superintendent, talked about the project.
“Our [ Fe l l owship of Christian Athletes], as well as our adult FCA group, is a wonderful organization for students, parents, staff and community members,” Berryhill said. “They host a variety of events throughout the year to offer leadership and citizenship opportunities for our students and provide examples of a servant leader.
“An FCA highlight each year is their Ultimate Weekend of August over three days with students, adults and volunteers involving five or six area churches and their families. … Both students and the adult FCA constantly try to model the Golden Rule and exhibit teamwork and collaboration in the many school and church activities they are involved with.”
Berryhill said Pangburn’s FCA success is a result of the involvement of so many leaders and adults, including Karyl Hartsfield, Kent and Sheila Presley, Shannon and Jeff Galyan, Debbie and Robert Dunaway, Allan and Janet Cook and others.
“Not only does the program, [as well as other] activities, strengthen our community churches; it is also a wonderful and powerful force in our high school and middle school each year,” Berryhill said. “Shannon Galyan coordinates the many FCA activities for our middle and high school for the current school year.
“The fundraising and coat-collection drive is just one more great example of our FCA members, as well as area churches reaching out to others in need and ‘regifting’ a coat they can no longer use. … We are very blessed to live in an area that is always willing to reach out and help others when there is a need.”