The Warm Hands, Heads and Hearts Initiative

My name is Joe Hickel. For over a decade my wife Monica and I have been doing events for local non-profit organizations. Through those events we have had the opportunity to meet so many incredible people, a good number of which being teachers and social workers. Over the years we have heard similar stories from both, of children coming to school without proper winter clothing (Jackets, Hats, Gloves, Socks) during our coldest months. We all have a tendency to assume that when you see a child without a coat they were stubborn and didn't want to wear one but in many cases they don't have the jacket to wear. This is why we are starting The Warm Hands, Heads and Hearts Initiative. We are currently in discussions with Connected Community Schools and ICAN. Our goal is to have a teacher in each school in Oneida County be a representative. That teacher will be our eyes and ears. If another teacher/co-worker or social worker informs them that a child is coming to school without the proper clothing they'll submit a request through us for said apparel. We do not want any child's name, just sizes and color preferences to help ensure the safety of the child. Once the requested clothing is purchased we will get it to the schools representative and they can pass it along to the teacher or child directly. We are only giving brand new items. Why you ask? So many of these children have known nothing but second-hand clothing that we want them to have pride in ownership of something that is specifically theirs. To accomplish our goal we need help with funding this project and this is why we decided to start a GoFundMe. Every single penny we raise will go directly to purchasing the necessary items for these kids. We have set up a separate bank account and email as to keep all funding apart from our own. If you have questions or would like to host a fundraiser please contact us directly and thank you all for the continued love and support.