By Brenda Maguire
Correspondent
NEW BRITAN— Warm the Children, now in its sixth week, is continuing to receive large donations and has reached a total of $28,000.
Mayor Timothy T. Stewart presented Warm the Children coordinator Mark Bernacki with a check for $1,000 last week that will go toward clothing New Britain children in low-income families.
Stewart said the best part of the campaign is that, “The money goes to the people. There’s no overhead.”
The entire program is sponsored and run by Bernacki, The Herald and the New Britain Lions Club. Therefore, every cent of donations goes directly to the children who need winter jackets, gloves and hats.
Stewart has been donating to the campaign annually since it started eight years ago. This year the $1,000 came from his golf tournament.
The lack of an overhead fee in the campaign not only caught Stewart’s attention, but also caught the attention of the New Britain Department of Municipal Development.
Warm the Children was given a $15,000 Federal Community Development Block Grant from the department.
Bernacki said the lack of an overhead gave Warm the Children a great advantage when applying for the grant.
“It greatly enhances our ability to clothe all needy children involved in our program,” Bernacki said of the grant, which will clothe 300 children.
The campaign is just over halfway to its goal of $40,000, which will clothe about 800 children. To help Warm the Children reach its goal donations can be sent to Warm the Children, 1 Court St., New Britain, CT 06051, along with the volunteer shopper form.
Brenda Pantano 