Union-Snyder Community Action Agency | Operation Warm

W&L Subaru and Operation Warm Team Up to Host Gifting Event with Union-Snyder Community Action Agency

Thursday, January 23, 2025
W&L Subaru employees and volunteers came together with Operation Warm and Union-Snyder Community Action Agency to provide children with essential winter clothing.

The team at W&L Subaru recently had the pleasure of working with Operation Warm and Union-Snyder Community Action Agency to host a gifting event for children in need. The event was a huge success, and we were thrilled to be able to help so many kids get the winter gear they need to stay warm and safe this season.

At the event, children were able to pick out brand-new winter coats, hats, and shoes. They also received new socks and had browsed a selection of hand-made hats donated by a community member. Volunteers from W&L Subaru and Union-Snyder Community Action Agency were on hand to help the children choose items and make sure they had everything they needed.

We were so touched by the gratitude of the children who attended the event. It was clear that they were truly grateful for the new clothes and shoes they received. We were also grateful for the opportunity to work with Operation Warm and Union-Snyder Community Action Agency to make a difference in the lives of these children.

W&L Subaru's Commitment to Giving Back
W&L Subaru is proud to be a partner with Operation Warm. We believe that it is important to give back to our community and help those in need. We are also committed to providing our customers with high-quality products and services.

We are grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children in our community. We hope that this event will help to ensure that they have a warm and safe winter.

Thank You
We would like to thank all of the volunteers who helped to make this event a success. We would also like to thank Operation Warm and Union-Snyder Community Action Agency for their partnership.



 

  


The Importance of Winter Clothing for Children
Winter clothing is essential for keeping children safe and healthy during the cold winter months. It can help to prevent illnesses such as colds, flu, and pneumonia. It can also help to keep children warm and comfortable, which can improve their mood and overall well-being.

In addition to the physical benefits of winter clothing, it can also have a significant impact on a child's mental and emotional well-being. Access to these necessities often determines whether a child attends school or participates in activities. When children are cold and uncomfortable, they are more likely to be distracted and have difficulty learning.
About Operation Warm
Operation Warm is a non-profit organization that provides new winter coats and other essential clothing to children in need. Since 1997, Operation Warm has distributed over 20 million coats to children in 45 countries.
About Union-Snyder Community Action Agency
Union-Snyder Community Action Agency is a non-profit organization that provides a variety of services to low-income families in Union and Snyder counties. These services include food assistance, housing assistance, and childcare assistance.

Providing comfort, hope, and confidence to children in urgent need

Thursday, January 25, 2024
W&L Subaru joined hands with Operation Warm and Union-Snyder Community Action Agency, to provide much-needed resources for local children. This move comes as a part of the Subaru Loves to Help initiative and W&L Subaru's dedication to strengthening the community.

The primary focus of this partnership was to assist children who lack basic necessities like shoes, coats, and socks. In a society where many take these items for granted, millions of children across the nation struggle daily without these essential supplies. This initiative aims to help lessen their burdens and support their growth and wellbeing within the community.

Journalists from local newspapers covered the on-site gifting event, held at The Miller Center for Recreation and Wellness in Lewisburg, PA, speaking with agency staff, Subaru volunteers, visitors and capturing photos of the children as they tried on their new coats and shoes.

With the guiding principle of helping others being integral to our operations, our partnership with Operation Warm and Union-Snyder Community Action Agency showcases that our role in the community extends beyond merely being a car dealership, but actively serving the community. Because at W&L Subaru, we're more than a car dealer; we're a part of the community.
 

  

In the news

New coats, shoes, socks provided to area children

By LAURYN LONGACRE, from THE STANDARD-JOURNAL
January 26, 2024

LEWISBURG - Families filtered into The Miller Center Thursday afternoon, where more than 400 items of clothing were available for the children in the tri-county area.

Union-Snyder Community Action Agency (CAA) was selected by W&L Subaru and Operation Warm to spearhead the "Subaru Loves to Help" gifting. Based in Selinsgrove, Union-Snyder CAA is a social services agency that offers tax preparation services, food resources and housing programs for community members facing various forms of insecurities.

Fifty families registered to receive gifts from the event, though Union-Snyder CAA Assistant Director Susie Weller said walk-ins were also welcomed. Sizes ranged from 7 in toddler to size 6 in kids for the 200 shoes, and from 2T to XXL for the 200 coat selections. Kids ages 1 through 18 years old from Union, Snyder and Northumberland counties were given the opportunity to select a winter coat, a pair of socks and a pair of shoes of their own choosing.

Approximately 20 volunteers from Union-Snyder CAA and W&L Subaru helped with the event. Weller said there were more than enough clothing items in each section so that every kid in need was able to be supplied with one item from all three options. All clothing items were brand new and provided by Operation Warm, a national nonprofit that manufactures its own high-quality coats and shoes.

Marketing Director of W&L Subaru Meghan Balum said Union-Snyder CAA was one of the first to come to mind when they were tasked with the gifting event this year. After working together in the past with blanket and sock donations, Balum was excited to work together with Union-Snyder CAA once again this year.

"Subaru reached out to Operation Warm and kind of found where is the greatest need within our community," Balum said. "(Operation Warm) was an organization that also aligned with (Union-Snyder CAA's) needs too. So, that's kind of how the partnership… finally got chosen."

Weller said Union-Snyder CAA was then reached out to directly from Operation Warm, to which the agency responded with an absolute interest in its participation in the event. "We always like to do things that help us… broaden our reach and serve more people," Weller said.

This marks the first time W&L Subaru has partnered with Operation Warm. The Subaru dealership was given the choice by Operation Warm to have a coat drive, sock drive, shoe drive or all three.

"We were excited to… take the top tier and go all in with this because we thought it was something very much needed in our community," Balum said. "Being a part of the community is what W&L thrives for, and it's what built our foundation… We're excited to continue partnerships like this throughout the years to come."

As a former early childhood education teacher, Weller was excited for the opportunity the event provided the children of the community.

"We have so many people who are struggling to pay their bills right now," she said. "This is something that we can help them… and their family with, that they might not be able to buy themselves."

One mother, MyAsia Hunter, registered for the event through the Community Action Agency website. Allowing the kids to pick and choose their own colors from the pile was Hunter's favorite aspect of the event.

"I think it helps out with parents who can't afford certain stuff," she said.

Another registered patron, Terri Proffitt, brought her two grandchildren for a new pair of shoes as soccer season is gearing up for the youngsters. 

"The economy is just so sporadic right now that every little bit helps," Proffitt said.

As a graduate of the Getting Ahead Foundation and the Staying Ahead Program, Proffitt said she felt blessed by the various helping hands offered by organizations throughout the community.

Lauryn Longacre can be reached at 570-742-9671 ext. 114 or email newsreporter@standard-journal.com.

  
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