“Operation Warm” gives kids new coats for the winter

Christmas came early on Thursday for some kids in Pocatello’s head start program. As part of “Firefighters for Operation Warm,” Pocatello firefighters donated winter coats to kids.

The Pocatello Fire Department has been doing “Operation Warm” for four years. The money for the coats comes from community donations and from the firefighters themselves.

Half of this year’s money was donated by Portneuf Auxiliary. It donated $3,000 to the project. Karen Ruchti, a member of the auxiliary, said they work to raise money at the gift shop, through book sales, etc. She said when the fire department approached them about this project, they thought it was a worthy cause to donate to.

“It’s really exciting because all winter long you’ll see kids going along that don’t have coats and so it’s really neat to see that these kids will have coats and be warm this winter,” Ruchti said. “And that’s what we raise our money for, is to help.”

Altogether, enough money was raised this year to buy 200 coats for kids. Jason Whitcomb, a Pocatello firefighter and someone working first-hand on the project, said they don’t pick the schools the coats go to. He said they let the school district look at what schools and its kids are most in need.

Whitcomb said for many of these kids, this coat will be the only one they’ll get. And for some, may be all they get for the holidays. So he said it’s a great project to be a part of.

“It’s more than just giving them a coat,” he said. “It’s also a way to give them a sense of dignity, a sense of style and quite frankly, a coat that’s going to last more than one year.” Whitcomb said they always welcome community donations. If interested in donating anything, contact the Pocatello Fire Department at 208-234-6201.