Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) pupil personnel workers (PPW), Community School coordinators and staff of the English Language Development (ELD) office and Title I family liaisons sifted through some 300 new winter coats Wednesday. They checked tags, calling out sizes to colleagues who were on the hunt for them, swapping jackets and coats to find a match for students on their lists. Sizes and styles ranged from a marshmallow-colored toddler-sized parka to an inky black XXL men’s puffer jacket.

Staff boxed and bagged coats in sizes that were in demand at their respective schools for students in need of a coat for the upcoming cold weather season.

The coats were donated by the Charles County School Bus Contractors Association through its annual Drive Away the Cold Coat Drive. Held Oct. 7 to 25, new coats were collected from community members dropping by Koch Trucking Inc., H&H Bus Service Inc. and D&J Buses Inc.

The association has been holding coat drives to benefit CCPS students for the past seven or eight years, Bethany Goodwin, CCPS Community Schools, homeless and foster care district coordinator, said.

Linda Stocks, a CCPS PPW, also delivered more than 150 hoodies that were donated by The Body of Christ Church in Waldorf. Headed by co-pastors Kenneth Stewart and his wife, Davita Gaines-Stewart, the church has been holding an annual drive for CCPS students since 2021, during which hoodies and sweatshirts are collected from parishioners. Stocks is a longtime friend of the Stewarts, and the church often pitches in to help CCPS students with donations of school supplies and other necessities.

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 27,765 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Mike Blanchard, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.  CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).