The Titi Fund of New York provided 5,000 brand new coats to students in need, in partnership with Operation Warm, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing brand new winter coats to children. All 31 schools on the Operation Warm wish list within the five NYC boroughs—Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island—received coats.
The Titi Fund is the charitable organization of Tracy Mezzalingua, a New York City philanthropist. The organization was born with the mission to focus on children with cancer, but has since expanded to help assist children living in poverty.
All orders were placed, shipped, and received within the two-weeks before December break. Administrators were then able to surprise their students with the gift of a brand new coat before the holidays.
“We were thrilled to receive this generous donation,” said Rachel Yaroschuk, a Bridging the Gap social worker from the Bronx. “Out of all NYC schools, we have one of the highest numbers of students in temporary housing. Most of these students live in shelters or are doubled-up with other families. Students are proud and showing off their new winter coats!”
Operation Warm’s 2018-2019 wish list has more than 106,000 coats on it, all requested by schools and organizations serving children in need across the U.S. To learn more about Operation Warm, visit operationwarm.org.
