Knights of Columbus Council #28 donates children's coats to TEAM

Members of the Knights of Columbus – St. Mary the Immaculate Conception Council #28 recently presented Kellie German Santiago, Development and Communications Manager at TEAM, Inc., center, with 48 new children’s coats for those in need in the Lower Naugatuck Valley./ Contributed photo

DERBY - Knights of Columbus Council #28 at St. Mary the Immaculate Conception Church recently donated 48 brand new children’s coats to TEAM Inc.

The coats cost approximately $1,000, and the Knights sold “Keep Christ in Christmas” car magnets to raise fund for the purchase.

The donation is part of the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids program, which allows councils across North America to purchase new winter coats for children at a discount and to distribute them to children in need in their local communities. 

Since the program’s launching in 2009, nearly 500,000 coats have been distributed in 49 states and all 10 Canadian provinces. In winter 2017 alone, the Knights of Columbus distributed 105,192 coats in 1,600 communities throughout the U.S. and Canada, including events at military bases, in Native American communities, at inner-city neighborhoods, and through partnerships with local police and fire departments.

Founded in 1965, TEAM (Training, Education, and Manpower) is a community action agency serving 10 communities in the Lower Naugatuck Valley. 
TEAM provides critical human and social services to over 5,000 families in the Lower Naugatuck Valley and also the neighboring towns of Bethany, Milford, Orange, and Woodbridge.

This is a press release from the Knights of Columbus Council #28.