Article by: Entergy Arkansas
For the 10th year in a row, Entergy Arkansas and the Little Rock International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 34 have come together to provide winter coats to elementary school students for “Operation Warm.” Through this partnership, hundreds of students in the Little Rock School District received new coats Wednesday, just before the students’ winter break begins.
Operation Warm is a national nonprofit that manufactures high-quality coats and shoes for children in need. The coats are designed and manufactured by the nonprofit to be long-wearing, water repellent and machine washable, with a warm fleece lining, deep pockets to keep little hands warm even without gloves, and detachable hoods. They come in sizes 2T to adult. Since 1998, the organization has provided more than 6 million coats to kids in need across the United States.
The IAFF Union 34 began working with the national nonprofit several years ago after seeing a group of young children shivering at a school bus stop near their firehouse.
“Helping people is our job, but it’s also part of who we are,” said IAFF Union 34 President Matthew Stallings. “We work year-round to support this program, and the last few weeks have been a concerted effort with Entergy and the Little Rock School District to determine the needs of the students and organize the coats for distribution. It’s worth any effort, though, to see those smiling faces as we do what we can to help children in our community weather the cold.”
With the support of a $10,000 grant from Entergy Arkansas and payroll-deduction contributions from members of IAFF Local 34, firefighters purchased 800 new coats for children at Western Hills and Carver STEAM Magnet Elementaries, as well as Romine Early Childhood Center.
“Since 2015, nearly 6,000 students across the Little Rock School District have benefited from the generosity of Union 34 firefighters and Entergy, said LRSD Superintendent Jermall Wright. “We are deeply grateful for their continued dedication and investment in our community. Their support is not just a donation, but a demonstration of the vital role community partnerships play in our mission to impact the lives of our students.”
“Entergy Arkansas works with community partners year-round and across the state to better our communities through grants and volunteerism, and this event is the ultimate example of our commitment to “power life” in every community we serve,” said Laura Landreaux, Entergy Arkansas president and CEO. “We are grateful to the Little Rock Fire Fighters Union 34 members who spearhead the effort with individual donations and coordinate the logistics of the coat donations and delivery. Helping meet the needs of children in this way is both an honor and a joy.”