One in six. That's how many
children in the five-county area of
Philadelphia live in poverty, which
by federal standards is defined
as a family of four living on an
annual income below $24,250.
This staggering statistic equates
to more than 174,000 children.
This fall, area auto dealers
teamed up with the Auto Dealers
CARing for Kids Foundation,
the philanthropic arm of the
Philadelphia Auto Show, to
combat that statistic through the
Driving Away the Cold program.
New vehicle dealers in the five-county Philadelphia
area have donated more than 265,000 free new
coats to less fortunate children since the program
launched in 2008, which equates to $4.3 million in
giving over the last nine years. This philanthropic
initiative of the Philadelphia Auto Show and the
Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation has
one important mission: to ensure that as many
children as possible in the greater Philadelphia
area have a warm coat for the harsh winter weather
and frigid temperatures.
"Thanks to the commitment of local auto dealers,
we were able to donate a record 45,070 new
winter coats to children in need in southeastern
Pennsylvania this fall," said Don Franks, president
of the Foundation and J.L. Freed Honda. "A new
coat makes it easier for them to get to school every
day for learning and, in some cases, the only two
hot meals they have that day."
To put that number of coats in perspective,
Citizen's Bank ballpark has 43,647 seats. If you
filled every seat in the stadium with a child in a
new coat, plus on the field, imagine the impact in
the community!
The Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation
partnered with the School District of Philadelphia
to donate 7,300 coats to Philadelphia school
students specifically. At the largest event of
the giving season, held at the Pennsylvania
Convention Center on October 18th, 1,400 of
those coats were hand-selected by children in need
from three elementary schools in Philadelphia.
New winter coats have also been distributed
through more than 125 social services agencies,
shelters, after-school programs, regional YMCAs
and more. These non-profit partners identified the
children who would benefit most from this gift
and distributed the coats in a responsible manner.
"Many of the coats go to the children whose
families receive financial assistance for our child
care programs. We've seen the look of relief and
gratitude on the parents' faces when their children
receive brand-new winter coats. It's one less
financial hurdle for this year and that's a blessing,"
said Denise Day, president and CEO of the YMCA
of Greater Brandywine.
The coats were delivered during the month of
October in two Driving Away the Cold trucks,
generously donated by Penske Truck Leasing.
The trucks clocked many miles throughout the
five-county region delivering coats to 18 YMCA
branches, which served as central distribution
points for the organizations that helped disseminate
the bulk of the coats.
The giving culminated at Chester High School
on October 28th. With help from dealership
volunteers, a new winter coat was given to every
elementary school student in the Chester Upland
School District in Delaware County, and the
volunteers could see first-hand how much the
program means to the children and families who
benefit from it.
"You know you are doing something right when
the children start to ask if they are going to get
a new coat this year because they were warm
going to school every day the year before. The
partnership has removed a burden for the families
who have to decide between putting food on the
table or clothes on their children," said Claudia
Averette of the Chester Upland School District.
Local auto dealers are committed to this initiative.
"The program is thriving because of the dealers'
generosity and enthusiasm to provide brand new
winter coats to kids who need them most, and
it will continue to grow with their support. We
wouldn't have the ability to continue the program
without them," said Kevin Mazzucola, executive
director of the Foundation.
The Philadelphia Auto Show also plays an
important role in this program by donating $2.00
from every auto show ticket sold to the Auto
Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation to support
programs like this. The Foundation board of
trustees and the community-at-large is eternally
grateful for the kindness of the Auto Dealers
CARing for Kids Foundation and the dealers who
live and work in the communities we serve. The
Foundation's work will continue until the need
is met. Thank you to all who consistently help us
Drive Away the Cold each year!
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One in six...let's make a difference
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