State Police sergeant runs winter coat donation drive
It was 37 degrees in Newark, but Thomas
vanessa bruno, a teenager from a financially struggling family
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John O'Boyle/The Star-LedgerState Police Sgt. Carla Thomas at the South 17th Street School in Newark where she served as principal for a day
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Now a sergeant in the State Police West Trenton division headquarters, Thomas, 42, said that tough winter motivated her in 2003 to single-handedly launch an award-winning donation drive that sends new winter coats to schoolchildren across the state.
The first year
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Pandora Charms. This month
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Initially relying only on one social worker to connect her with needy kids, she now uses a huge mailing list that brings together networks of colleagues
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"It a monumental task for her, a year-long process because she always talking to people," said Terri Martinac
clarisonic mia, a State Police colleague who starting donating to the drive three years ago.
The operation kicks into high gear during the season first cold snap, when Thomas writes an e-mail to possible donors and sets only one condition: all coats must be purchased brand new
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John O'Boyle/The Star-LedgerState Police Sgt. Carla ThomasDonors oblige, spending $35 on average for coats, which are usually handed out at the end of November, Thomas said
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She asks for new coats because of the stigma of wearing a hand-me-down. She recalls being a child and having a neighbor, who noticed her family plight, give her second-hand coats.
"Even though it protected me from the elements, I was so embarrassed to walk in front of their house
casque beats," she said. "There pride in wearing something new."
After people agree to join the drive, Thomas sends them a child name
Pandora Charms, gender and coat size. The donors then shop and leave the coats with Thomas, who arranges a delivery day at schools.
Plaudits for Thomas efforts have rolled in over the years, including a proclamation from Gov. Congress and Camden Mayor Gwendolyn Faison.
After six years of working with South 17th Street School, the kids and teachers there have formed a bond with Thomas. Last week she was made "principal for a day," an honorary position that allowed her to observe the school staff in action.
Clarence Allen
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ティファニー, described the scene on delivery day, when students arrive in his office and try on the coats and make sure they fit.
"They just leave glowing," he said. "Coats are not cheap, and it very important to our students."
For Thomas, those delivery days can be bittersweet.
She relishes the joy on children faces as they receive her gifts, but she often sees children shedding dingy coats
Pandora Necklace, riddled with holes.
The sight takes her back to her school days at Vailsburg High School, when she used cardboard to buffer her worn-out shoes and rolled up her older sister pants so they could fit.
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