Newman Club Holds Coat Drive for Children at Local Church

Sleepy Newman Club members wait in anticipation for doors to open at St. Justin's.

The University of Hartford’s Newman Club teamed up with Connecticut’s chapter of Knights of Columbus on Saturday, March 2, for its first Coats for Kids drive at St. Justin Church in Hartford. 

Students and volunteers from St. Justin and Knights of Columbus assembled at 8 a.m., sorting girls and boys coats as families in need lined up outside the door. At 10 a.m., the doors were opened to a sea of children. Subsequently, approximately 300 children and young adults were fitted for coats and moved down to a line of volunteers to help choose the style and color they preferred.

The coat drive was a big success. Dozens of boxes of donated coats were dwindled down to a small handful and children were paired with warm coats for New England’s next winter. More importantly, a new lasting partnership formed between St. Justin and the University of Hartford.

As of spring semester, the Newman Club has made aims to increase its commitment to community service. The group has strengthened by adding the position of Vice President of Social Justice (Marco Aguilera) to help coordinate community service events, and helping out at St. Justin’s seemed the perfect way to kick off the semester.

The Newman Club meets every Sunday in Konover after 4:30 Mass and dinner. For more information about Catholic Campus Ministry, stop by GSU 153 or contact Sandi Smith (Campus minister) at uhacatholicmin@aol.com. If you have questions about this article or would like to know more about Newman Club, please contact Nicole Coumes (VP of Public Relations) at coumes@hartford.edu.