The annual Worcester County Sheriff’s Office winter coats distribution took place recently and their stops included several spots in the Twin Cities.
They visited three places in Leominster on Tuesday, Oct. 20 — the Spanish American Center, Catholic Charities’ Women’s Recovery Center, and the Leominster Police Department — along with Compass Clubhouse in Fitchburg and the Fitchburg Community Justice Support Center as well as Alyssa’s Place in Gardner and the Gardner Community Action Committee.
“We are blessed by the community,” said Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis at the SAC on Spruce Street, adding that “staying warm in the winter” is the idea behind their large-scale community outreach effort.
He thanked the partners who helped make it possible, including Leominster-based nonprofit Warmer Winters, which provides handknit hats, mittens, sweaters and scarves that are handed out along with the coats.
“They key process to helping neighbors is teaching young people to be leaders,” said Warmers Winters President David Roth, who was joined by group volunteers including junior board members Mariah, Jackson, Josiah and Kelly, the 17-year-old who chairs the junior board.
SAC Resource Development Manager Melanie Trottier-Mitcheson disclosed that people who don’t usually ask for help are finding themselves in the position to have to do that and said they are grateful for the coats they receive each year from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office.
“Were so thankful for your partnership with us,” she imparted.
According to a press release, every fall as the chilly weather arrives, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and Worcester County Reserve Deputy Sheriff’s Association gear up for their winter coat drive and distribution, continuing a longstanding tradition of helping residents in need stay warm during the winter months.
Beginning Oct. 19, Evangelidis and members of his team traveled throughout Worcester County delivering coats to food pantries, nonprofit organizations, community centers and other agencies serving those in need. The annual initiative provides much-needed warmth while strengthening relationships between the sheriff’s office and the communities it serves, and it is estimated that nearly 4,000 coats will be distributed this year.
The winter coat drive remains one of the sheriff’s office’s signature community outreach programs, bringing together local businesses, volunteers and service organizations to make a meaningful difference for Worcester County residents ahead of the winter season.
“Every year we are reminded of just how much of a difference something as simple as a warm winter coat can make,” Evangelidis stated in the release. “This initiative is about more than providing coats. It’s about bringing people together, supporting our neighbors, and showing those in need that their community cares [and] we are incredibly grateful to our sponsors and community partners who make this effort possible year after year.”
The generosity of local businesses, organizations, and individuals who continue to support the effort year after year contribute to its success. This year’s supporters include Saint Francis Community Health Foundation, Mercadante Funeral Home, the Cliff & Susan Rucker Foundation, Chop Chop Convenience, Imperial Cars, Pat’s Service Center, Rockland Trust Bank, and Pamela Massad in memory of ‘Duddie’ and Bette Massad, to name just some of the many community partners.
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