A Coat of Their Own: Operation Warm and United Airlines Bring Warmth to Calvert Elementary

Every Calvert student received a brand-new winter coat during an Oct. 8 event filled with warmth, excitement and the reassurance that they are cared for.

Rows of bright pink, purple, blue and black coats transformed the Calvert Elementary cafeteria into a colorful fitting room on Oct. 8.

Students looked through the choices while United Airlines volunteers helped them find the right size, slip their arms into the sleeves and zip up their new coats. Some pulled on the hoods. Others admired the colors or smiled as they showed their selections to friends.

By the end of the event, every Calvert student had received a brand-new coat of their own. The school also received additional coats for students who enroll later in the school year.

For some children, it was the first new coat they had ever owned.

“All students were super excited and extremely grateful,” Calvert counselor Sade Kelly said. “This was extremely special because some of our students haven’t ever had a brand-new coat of their own.”

The event was made possible through Operation Warm, a national nonprofit that provides new coats and other essential clothing to children, and United Airlines, whose employees volunteered to help students through the selection and fitting process.

The opportunity began when an Operation Warm representative contacted Calvert with information about the nonprofit and invited the school to apply for its Wish List program. Schools and community organizations serving children in need can request coats or shoes through the program.

Kelly chose coats because Calvert’s campus layout requires students to spend time outdoors and because she knew some families needed additional support preparing their children for colder weather.

Operation Warm was founded in 1998 after its founder saw children waiting for a school bus on a freezing day without coats. Since then, the organization and its partners have provided brand-new essential clothing to more than 7 million children.

The organization describes its work as providing more than protection from the cold. Giving children something new that they can select for themselves can also build confidence, encourage a sense of belonging and help them participate more fully in school and daily life.

That purpose could be seen throughout the Calvert cafeteria as volunteers surrounded students with racks and tables of choices. Twelve United Airlines employees assisted with the distribution, helping children compare colors, check sizes and find coats that felt like their own.

Operation Warm project manager Stephanie Finely helped coordinate the event, with Adolph Pesina and Kacie Lynch serving as on-site coordinators.

For Kelly, the experience reflected an important part of her role as a school counselor: caring for everything a child brings into the classroom, including needs that may never appear on an assignment or report card.

“Being able to provide coats for our Calvert students meant so much to me because it was about more than just keeping them warm; it was about showing them that they are loved, supported and cared for,” Kelly said. “As a school counselor, my heart is committed to supporting the whole child and ensuring that our students have what they need to feel safe, confident and ready to learn.”

The coat distribution continued United Airlines’ history of supporting Aldine ISD. With its Houston hub at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, United has worked with the district on teacher recognition, literacy and mentoring initiatives, as well as programs that introduce students to careers in aviation.

During the 2020-21 school year, United employees, including pilots, flight attendants and aircraft technicians, read weekly to students at Wilson and Odom elementary schools and spoke with them about their careers. The partnership helped children strengthen their literacy skills while learning about possibilities they may not have considered before.

At Calvert, United employees connected with students in a different way, offering their time, attention and a helping hand as each child chose a coat.

“I am incredibly grateful to be part of a community that comes together to meet the needs of our children,” Kelly said. “Seeing our students supported in this way is a beautiful reminder of why I do what I do.”

 

When the event ended, Calvert students returned to class carrying coats chosen especially for them. And when the first cold morning arrives, every child will have a coat to zip up, a color they chose and one more reason to feel cared for.