Nearly 200 children enrolled in Child Care of Southwest Florida early learning centers will stay warm this winter thanks to a donation of 194 coats provided through the Knights of Columbus’ national Coats for Kids program.
The coats were donated by Knights of Columbus Council 2596 at St. Francis Xavier in Fort Myers as part of the organization’s ongoing commitment to supporting children and families in need during colder months. Each year, the council partners with a local nonprofit to help ensure young children have access to essential winter clothing.
This year’s donation was distributed among three Child Care of Southwest Florida centers, including 78 coats for Joseph H. Messina Children’s Center in Fort Myers, 65 coats for Children’s Garden of LaBelle and 51 coats for P.A. Geraci Child Development Center in Fort Myers. Center directors identified children most in need to ensure the coats reached families facing the greatest challenges.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Knights of Columbus for its continued generosity and dedication to our children,” said Chris Hansen, CEO of Child Care of Southwest Florida. “A warm coat may seem simple, but for many families it makes a meaningful difference during the winter months and shows our children they are cared for by their community.”
The Coats for Kids program was launched nationally by the Knights of Columbus in 2009 and has since provided warm winter coats to more than 1 million children across the United States and Canada.
Child Care of Southwest Florida serves more than 550 children annually through its early learning centers, providing safe, nurturing environments that support educational development while helping working families remain stable and self-sufficient.
To learn more about Child Care of Southwest Florida or how to support its programs year-round, visit CCSWFL.org or call 239-278-1002.
