By Sara Paul
Kerri Fenton Foley and her children relish the wintry thought of frolicking in the snow. With tougher times during this frigid season for many, the family’s conversation about snow play took a more somber tone.
“We started talking about how not all children have what they need to stay warm, not just on a snow day, but any day,” recalls Foley.
The Warwick resident helped organize “Warwick Spreads the Warmth at Pine Island Park,” an initiative inviting the community to donate winter accessories for those in need.
“We felt it was something the community of Warwick would be open to doing, and that it would allow for socially-distanced access and donations,” Foley said.
Since COVID-19, the need for bare necessities has grown. To support this effort, the Town, the Pine Island Chamber of Commerce, and even students at Pine Island Elementary are filling Ziploc bags with new or clean and gently worn gloves, hats, and scarves labeled adult, boy, or girl. There are clothespins at the fence on the baseball field at Pine Island Park, located off of Kay Rd., to hang the items.
So far, more than 500 winter accessories have been collected, Foley approximates. With a successful first season, the program is set to begin again by Thanksgiving 2021.
Recently, Pine Island Elementary students in Ms. Theresa Canfield’s kindergarten class, along with Principal John Russo, hand-delivered and hung 80 bags at the park.
“The children had smiles on their faces from ear to ear… I was extremely proud of all of them. These kids are the future. They showed empathy and compassion toward others in need,” reports Ms. Canfield, an educator for almost 30 years.
Foley fondly commented, “I wanted to say again how truly grateful I am for how the community embraced this project, from the smallest kindergarten hands, to an elderly couple I saw gingerly hanging a hat. It shows how even a simple idea, allowing for a small gesture of kindness, can help make a difference in the lives of others.”
For more information, send an e-mail to WarwickSpreadstheWarmth@gmail.com.
Principal John Russo (top right) & school teacher Theresa Canfield joined the P.I. Elementary kindergarten class in hanging 80 bags for ‘Warwick Spreads the Warmth.’
P.I. Elementary teacher Ms. Canfield is assisted by Kiernan McCosker in hanging donated bags of winter accessories for the needy.
The Town, the Pine Island Chamber of Commerce, community members & schools are filling Ziploc bags with winter donations for those in need.
