BoomerGirl Diary

Remember when you were a kid and your Mom said, “Stop complaining. "When I was a girl I walked 3 miles to school, one way, in 2 feet of snow, without a coat ...”? The last part is true for many kids in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

That bothered Leslie Lami-Reed, an art teacher who watched kids make do with layers of sweaters and old shoes. It bothered her friends Peg Cancro, Lynda McKinnon and Sandra Ormanovich, as well.

That was enough for them to launch the Warm Kids Project, which is now in its 20th year. Since those first days of noticing the need, they’ve collected, purchased and distributed over 9,000 coats, hats and boots. In 1986, 87 kids received garments. The next year, 325 kids were a bit warmer, and today they average about 800 kids a year.

Lami-Reed originally thought that if they could just take care of the kids in their school, their job would be done, but the need grew. Little by little, they began to serve the children in Climax, Scotts, Comstock, Galesburg, Augusta, Parchment, Plainwell, Portage and Vicksburg, too.

Warm Kids Project is funded through individual donations and organizations. The cash is maximized through the teamwork of more than 70 volunteers, donated distribution space and special wholesale buying arrangements with local businesses. A typical $45 contribution can outfit a child with a new coat, boots, hat and gloves.

The project serves many on very little; last year the entire operating budget was $36,566. They have no Web site and do all their fund raising through word of mouth and direct mail. As organizations go, it has a very low profile. Even Leslie’s closest friends and professional ties had a hard time providing the name of the effort and any details.

The women aren’t in it for the accolades and yet, slowly, they have been piling up as the good work gets noticed. With consistency comes grant money, and now the foundations are taking notice and helping to support the project further.

The kids are the ultimate benefactors of this effort, but donators would probably agree that a lot of lives are now “warmer” because of a few women who saw a need and know how to get the most out of a dollar.

If you would like more information on the Warm Kids Project, contact Leslie-Lami Reed at P.O. Box 44 Kalamazoo, MI 49004 or call her directly at (269) 329-0882.