WARM THE CHILDREN - GARRETT COUNTY OAKLAND, MD.

PROVIDING WARM WINTER CLOTHING FOR CHILDREN IN NEED

Together we can make a difference and change lives

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Who We Are

How it all started

Warm The Children was founded in Torrington, Connecticut in 1988 by newspaper publisher Mack W. Stewart.

Following the initial success of the Torrington program, Mack Stewart

called other small town newspaper owners asking them if they would like to participate.

Don Sincell, then owner of the

Republican newspaper, said yes and a Warm the Children program was born in Garrett County.

Today there are 27 Warm The Children programs spending $800,000 annually on new winter wear for 10,000+ local children in need.

How WTC got started in Garrett County, MD

Don Sincell recruited help from the Department of Social Services to identify families in need and the Civic Club of Oakland to oversee shopping and financials for the program.

Today the partnership continues between the Republican newspaper and the Civic Club of Oakland, with the paper running weekly ads soliciting donations and Civic Club members shopping for the families..

For over 20 years, readers continue to be very generous in their support of the program and the need continues to be great.

Our Impact

Over the years Warm the Children has helped countless Garrett County families provide warm winter clothing for their children. Thousands of dollars have been raised and spent, with less than 1 percent of donations used for administrative expenses such as stamps, office supplies, and website management. The chart to the left shows the statistics for the Warm the Children program over the last 3 years.

Our Team

For many years, Betty Ellington was the driving force behind WTC. Her sudden death in December 2022 was a blow to our community but Warm the Children has continued under the new leadership of Judi Merriman, Darla Soles, BJ Gallagher and Linda Luedeke. Additional support is provided by club members and community volunteers who shop with families and write thank you notes to each donor.

how the program works

In October, applications are hand delivered to Garrett County schools, which identify needy families and send letters home with students explaining the program to their parents. Parents also receive the WTC application and a stamped, self-addressed envelope to make it easier for them to apply for the program. The Civic Club of Oakland NEVER selects the Warm the Children families.

Once the applications are received, Civic Club volunteers contact the families and arrange to meet them at the Oakland Walmart. The parents/guardians select the clothing the children need and the volunteers pay for the purchases. For children under 3, the clothing allowance is $125, which may include a package of diapers; for elementary school children, the amount is $150, and for middle and high schoolers, families may spend up to $175 per child. Coats, hats, gloves, snow pants, and boots may be purchased but also any item of clothing a child needs, including but not limited to shirts, sweaters, pants, jeans, shoes, pajamas, slippers, socks, and underwear.