Operation Warm, Mountain America Credit Union donates coats to Pocatello students

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Operation Warm, a nationwide nonprofit that provides free coats to children in need, partnered with Mountain America Credit Union and Idaho State University Athletics to provide coats for children at Pocatello schools.

Since 2016, Mountain America has made donations to a select charity for every first down completed by ISU's football team and every three-point shot made by ISU's basketball team.

This season, Mountain America donated to Project Warm to provide free winter coats for the Lincoln Early Childhood Center in Pocatello.

"It's just tough times out there, we understand that," said Angie Phillips, public relations manager for Mountain America. "To be able to take the burden off of a family [of] not having to buy a coat this year for their kid... it's just one way that we can help out."

The nearly $15,000 donated by Mountain America to Operation Warm was used to make coats in different sizes and colors for around 300 elementary school students.

Students were individually fitted with a coat by school staff and volunteers from Mountain America and ISU Athletics.

"It's great to just give back to local community," said Andrew Lee, general manager of ISU's Bengals Sports Properties. "No matter what's going on in the area, we want to be present and helping out no matter what."