Winter is here, and without the proper snow gear, children
looking to play in a “winter wonderland” might find the cold
weather isn’t quite what they expected.

In preparation for the cold winter, the Parent Networking Group
and the Bradford Family Center Council sponsored a hat and mitten
drive to collect items to warm those in need.

Collection boxes were located at the Bradford Family Center, the
Guidance Center, and the Bradford Area Public Library during the
month of November, and almost 100 items were collected.

The collection was distributed to children and adults on Friday
at the Friendship Table, and there were still plenty of hats and
mittens available there Friday evening.

The Parent Networking Group and the Bradford Family Center
Council, made up of parents and community agency members, meets
monthly to plan activities and programs to help promote child
health and safety issues.

Jessie Jones, a member of the group, said it was at one of these
meetings where the group came up with the idea of a hat and mitten
drive. She said all the parents came up with the idea to try a hat
and mitten drive this year since the Salvation Army was already
sponsoring a coat drive. Theresa Stoddard said the drive was to
help the parents and community keep up the health and safety of
children in the area.

“There’s a definite need for everyone,” Stoddard said.

She said children are always losing hats and mittens, and this
was a way to help them out.

Stoddard and Jones said this is probably the second time the
Parent Networking Group and the Bradford Family Center Council have
held an event like this.

“I think we did a couple mitten trees two years ago,” Stoddard
said. “We’ve had a better turnout this year.”

Jones, who brought some hats and mittens to add to the
collection, said this was her first time participating.

One family at the Friendship Table for an afternoon meal didn’t
realize the hats and mittens were going to be available, and their
children, including Courtney Reid and Kaleb Newbrough among other
children, were pleasantly surprised. The children enjoy playing
outside in the snow.

“Me and Kaleb like it outside,” Courtney Reid said.

She also said they liked building snowmen and sledding.

In addition to the hats and mittens, the Seneca Highlands IU9
Family Literacy Program donated 40 copies of the book “Winter is
Here” by Kimberly Weinberger, to distribute to children at the
Friendship Table. Stoddard said this was done to help promote
literacy in young children.