UMO Collegiate FFA Continues Annual Coats for Kids Project
MOUNT OLIVE- For the 15th consecutive year, the University of Mount Olive (UMO) Collegiate FFA (CFFA) is providing coats to needy children in the Mount Olive area. More than 450 coats, hats, and gloves are being provided to students at Brogden Primary School and Carver Elementary School this year.
“Coats for Kids is one of our favorite projects and we look forward to each year,” said CFFA President James Johnson, a junior agriculture education major from Selma, NC. “There’s just something about seeing the smiling faces of those kids when they receive their new winter coats that will make your heart melt. We feel it is important for the students to have the coats, hats and gloves to help stay warm during the winter, especially since the area has experienced so much loss from Hurricane Florence. For some, these will be the only Christmas gifts they receive, and we’re happy to be able to serve our community in this way.”
The project is carried out with the help of the community. “We reach out to several local businesses in the Mount Olive/Wayne County area for donations for our project,” Johnson explained. “A lot of our students also go back home to collect donations. We set a goal this year of $12,000, and we could not have met our goal without the help and support of all of our donors and sponsors.”
CFFA Vice President Noah Stewart, a junior agriculture education major from La Grange, NC, agreed that the project is a blessing to those who are giving as well as to those who receiving. “Coats for Kids is one of the most memorable experiences that I have had during my time at the University. Knowing that we are able to help so many children each year is heartwarming because the greatest gift anyone can receive is the gift of giving. It is a great opportunity for us to give back to the community that supports us.”
All donations to the UMO CFFA Coats for Kids Project are tax deductible. Donations can be sent to:
UMO CFFA
Coats for Kids Project
634 Henderson St.
Mount Olive, NC 28365
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University, sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists, has locations in Mount Olive, New Bern, Wilmington, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Research Triangle Park, Washington, Jacksonville, in Smithfield at Johnston Community College, and online. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.
