MADISON COUNTY - Riverbend Head Start and Family Services would like to thank everyone who donated coats, cash and served as one of the 38 collection sites for their 11th Annual Coats for Kids Campaign. This year, the community helped share the gift of warmth by collecting over 500 coats and raising over $3,000. With the generous donations of cash, the agency was able to purchase additional coats, ensuring every child in need of a winter coat received one, regardless of their size. Throughout its campaign history, this year of contributions hit a record amount.
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As part of its ongoing mission to strengthen families in Madison County, every fall, Riverbend Head Start & Family Services reaches out to the local businesses as well as social and civic organizations for support with its Coats for Kids campaign. While the campaign is aimed at ensuring children enrolled in its Head Start and Early Head Start programs has a coat for the winter season, their siblings and parents benefit from the generosity of the community.
“For several years, the community and its members have supported our Coats for Kids collection drive. Some of those partners include 1st Mid America Credit Union, Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club, Junior League of Greater Alton, St. Paul’s Episcopal Parish and a list of many others. Over the past two years, we expanded our request to neighbors located in communities where our other centers operate programs (Bethalto, Collinsville, Edwardsville and Granite City) asking them to partner with us to provide warm winter coats to about 300 of the 793 children enrolled in our programs and the response has been remarkable,” said Jahara Davis, PR and Fund Development Director of Riverbend Head Start & Family Services (RHSFS).
The additional support gained of individuals and members from organizations and companies like the American Water Company, Alton Memorial Hospital, Associated Pediatric Dentistry, Painters District Council 58 and Knights of Columbus #1058, to name a few have really made this campaign a huge success.
“Head Start is the nation's longest running school and life readiness program for qualifying families. Fifty-four percent of our program's families live on less than $10,000 a year making warm winter coats a luxury they cannot afford,” added Gene Howell, President and CEO of Riverbend Head Start and Family Services.
For individuals and groups that would like to get involved and pay it forward in Madison County, RHSFS seeks community partners such as local banks, churches, community service organizations and more, who would like to assist the Agency in helping meet the agency’s greatest needs. Those interested in supporting the agency through volunteer service or with a tax-deductible gift, may contact Jahara Davis at (618) 463-8913 or visit the website at www.riverbendfamilies.org.
About Riverbend Head Start and Family Services
Riverbend Head Start & Family Services began supporting the families and individuals of Madison County in 1916. More than 102 years later, Riverbend
Head Start & Family Services operates six centers, offering a two generational approach supporting growth of both parents and children through its Head Start and Early Head Start programs that serve over 1,200 people each year. For the young child, ages Riverbend Head Start & Family Services offer early childhood education, as well as health and nutrition services. For families and individuals they offer parenting and emotional support, social services, family literacy and various individual strengthening and family case management services. For more information about Riverbend Head Start & Family Services and its program, please visit www.riverbendfamilies.org or call (618) 463-5946.
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