High costs lead local charity to plead for help to keep kids 'warm and cozy' this winter

Hats and mittens collected by Warm and Cozy Children's Charity shown on display on Mon. Sept. 25, 2023 (CTV News/Chris Garry).

With temperatures set to drop in the coming weeks, one local charity is pleading for help to make sure every kid can bundle up this winter.

Warm and Cozy Children's Charity is based in Waubashene and has a mission to ensure every child has proper winter attire. With donations, volunteers purchase brand-new clothing and provide it free of charge to any child in need.

"Our goal has always been the same; it is to help every child to feel equal to their peers, to help them to gain dignity, self-respect and maybe most of all hope because when a person has hope all things can become possible," said Phyllis Stanley, the founder of the start-up charity.

This is the 16th winter that Warm and Cozy Children has been in operation. The charity has formed close working relationships with schools in the area. It is through conversations with teachers that they often find out what families are most in need of extra support.

Those who benefit from the charity receive an entire wardrobe, including a new snowsuit, three hats, three pairs of mittens, socks, and boots.

However, with high inflation leading to financial struggles for many families, Stanley says they are currently short over $40,000 in donations this year.

"It's frightening to go around and see that the children's snowsuits have doubled in price, their little boots the same, and it's scary to know that there may be children this year that may not be able to go out in the snow, won't be able to attend school because they do not have the proper clothing," said Stanley.

Ideally, the organization appreciates financial donations above all others, saying its buying power can often stretch every dollar as far as possible. While clothing donations are accepted, all items must be brand new, either store-bought or handmade.

Stanley only provides new clothing, arguing that many of these children have never had brand-new items and often get a significant confidence boost.

"We know, and we hear back from the teachers, that the children that would have fallen through the cracks of our society are graduating," Stanley said. "They are getting a decent life for themselves. They are graduating, getting local jobs, going to college and going to university, and so I know that it's working, and you're all very much a part of that."

If you'd like to help, you can donate financially by clicking here.