Jill Green with her children Michael, Giana and Serenity (photo courtesy Lowell Public Schools)
by Jen Myers
One afternoon after school, Jill Green heard her daughters Giana and Serenity talking to Siri. They were not taunting “her” or just messing around like they usually did.
They were asking “her,” how to get free coats for kids in their school who did not have them.
Green asked what inspired this search and was told that one of their friends did not have a winter coat, but was afraid to ask for help in getting one at school. This student’s mom told her not to draw attention to the fact that they could not afford a coat because she was afraid if she did, they may get in trouble with child protective services.
Touched by the plight of this one student and the compassion expressed by her daughters, who are in first and third grade at the Moody Elementary School, Green jumped in to help them search for solutions.
Their internet search led to Operation Warm, a national non-profit that manufactures and distributes coats for school kids. Last October, the organization provided more than 460 coats to the Greenhalge Elementary School – one for each and every student.
Photo courtesy Lowell Public Schools
Because it is a national non-profit, the competition for receiving Operation Warm’s services is fierce. But, Green and her kids figured they would take a shot at it and filled out the online application – which included comments from Giana, Serenity, and their little brother Michael, a Kindergarten student at the Moody, about why this was important to them and their school community.
“I don’t like to see kids going to school cold,” Giana said recently. “I felt bad that they had no jackets.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” said Green. “They followed through with me on every bit of the application and they asked me every single day – did that company write back yet?”
Just before February vacation, Green received notification from Operation Warm – their application had been accepted and the Moody would be receiving more than 300 new coats – one for every student regardless of need so no one feels singled out.
Photo courtesy Lowell Public Schools
Moody Community Schools Program Manager Valerie Cowart was very confused when she received an email from Operation Warm saying the school had been chosen. She had ALSO submitted an application, but had been denied.
When she inquired and discovered it was Green, an active member of the Moody’s School Site Council, and her kids who made it happen, she was not surprised.
The Green kids managed to keep the pending coat bonanza a secret from their friends.
All through vacation, Michael kept asking his mom “are we going back to school yet?” because he was so excited to unveil the surprise and for everyone to get new coats.
In early March, every student at the Moody received a new coat in a color they liked and in their size.
“Throughout the distribution process all of the students and teachers cooperated so well; it went really smoothly,” said Cowart. “That is what is great about this school. It really is like a family.”
There were some extra coats that have been added to the school’s Catie’s Closet branch, ready for any student who may need them in the future.
“I am truly so thankful for this organization, I did it just for the fun of it because I really wanted to see if I could make a difference,” said Green. “I’m trying to teach the kids that it’s not always about receiving gifts and it’s not always about getting something to feel good. When you make an impact and you give something to someone or you start giving back in the world you also feel good doing that.”
