KENNEWICK, Wash. – Hanford VIT Plant workers have come together in a heartwarming effort to support local families by raising thousands of dollars for new winter coats for children across the Tri-Cities. This initiative is part of NonStop Local’s Annual Coats for Kids Drive, which has been running for over 30 years.
The team at Hanford usually focus on safety within the Plant. However, over the past few weeks, their attention shifted to ensuring no child is cold this winter. Some workers expressed their motivation to give back to the community they grew up in.
“I remember a coat for kids from the time I was eight years old in school. So it’s something I’m familiar with. And to be able to contribute as much as we have back to the community, it’s… it’s nice to give back,” said one worker.
“We just want, you know, get back to the community… it’s never been done before. You know, not on the construction side. So we want to try and, you know, change it up, you know, want to do something good,” said another worker.
The Area Safety Team (AST) organized a fundraiser, unsure of its success, but nearly every craft’s union workers stepped up.
“It was looking kind of sketchy for the, the first two weeks. And but the last week, you know, everybody got together and, you know, it just blew up,” said a member of AST.
In total, more than $8,000 was raised for Coats for Kids, with almost half contributed by the VIT Plant team. A supervisor matched their employees’ contributions, and when Richland Costco learned about the large purchase, they donated $1,000. This money bought over 300 items of winter clothing, enough to help more than 300 kids across the Tri-Cities.
“You know, 300 kids. That’s a lot of kids that, we’re going to have a nice, warm winter,” said a worker.
For many workers, this effort was personal, and the group is committed to continuing their charitable work.
“We plan on keeping it going and we’ll be giving back to the community as much as possible,” said a team member.
“We know that it takes a village in these days and days and time… we know there’s a lot of underprivileged kids out there that need some help, and a lot of families need help out there. Times are rough. So, we wanted to do everything we could to, give back,” said another participant.
This is the safety team’s second charitable donation in the last six months, and they do not plan to stop soon.
Learn more on how you can donate.
