Dorchester Youth Council Spreads Warmth During a Tough Winter

During a Dorchester Youth Council meeting, council member, Jaquan Works stated, “I saw on the news that this was supposed to be one of the worst winters we have seen in a long time. I think that we should create a warm coat drive to help those who do not have the means to buy their own coats.” Other council members agreed and we were able to partner with the Burlington Coat Factory on their annual Warm Coats Warm Hearts Coat Drive.

On Monday, January 25th, eleven Dorchester Youth Council Members and four volunteers helped to gather, sort, and distributed about 600 donated jackets from the Burlington Coat Factory to families in need. Although it was pouring rain, the turnout for the Dorchester Youth Council’s First Annual Warm Coats Warm Hearts Coat Drive was tremendous. One participant stated, “This coat drive is a godsend, thank you very much.” Dawn Martin, the Codman Square Technology Center Program Coordinator, exclaimed, “Many people have been looking for warm coats, these donations will help to keep a lot of Dorchester residents warm through these harsh winter months and economic times.”

The spirits were very high and hearts filled as one of the council member's, Jimmy Huynh, walked up to a 5 year old with an adult-sized coat and said, “I think this will fit you.” The child smiled and said, “I don’t think so.” Every month, the council organizes a community service-learning project that they think will help benefit the community. This event really touched the hearts of many Dorchester residents and helps meet an immediate need. Without the generous donation provided by the Burlington Coat Factory, this event would have not been possible. The council thanks the company and its staff for all their support and looks forward to another successful event next year.

The SCI Dorchester Youth Council is a group of young leaders that meet once a week to discuss new and exciting activities for youth to better their community. Council members encourage other youth to become community leaders and help solve the problems of today’s youth. SCI Dorchester is coordinated through a partnership between Social Capital Inc. (SCI) and DotWell. 

For more information about the Dorchester  Youth Council's Warm Coats Warm Hearts Coat Drive please contact Keith Pernell, email: keith.pernell@dotwell.org, or phone: 617-740-2580