Local Boy Seeks to Collects Coats, Warm Hearts

Tis the season of giving and 12-year-old Cameron D. Sweeney wants to do more than give—he wants to give back.

For the second year in a row, the Samuel Ogle Middle School seventh grader is sponsoring the Warming Hearts Coat Drive to collect coats for those in need this winter.

Sweeney got the idea for the coat drive last year when he saw a student at his school who did not have a jacket.

“I asked him why he didn’t have one, and he told me his parents couldn’t afford one. He said they didn have enough money for it,” Sweeney said.

This conversation made a big impact on Sweeney, who is also the CEO of his own clothing label, Children Deserve Success (CDS). He decided that he wanted to help people like his classmate who couldn’t afford coats to stave off the winter chill.

Last year, Sweeney’s coat drive collected about 200 coats. According to his mom, Tatiana Sweeney, they gave the coats to social workers at schools in the area.

“They give us the name, age gender and quantity of coats they need,” said Tatiana Sweeney.

They also donated coats to the Hypothermia Center and the Center for Battered Women and Children in DC.

This year, Sweeney is hoping to extend his reach and collect even more coats. In addition to giving coats locally, he also wants to supply coats to those impacted by Superstorm Sandy who lost everything, including their winter clothing.

Sweeney will be collecting coats at his Warming Hearts Coat Drive from 10 a.m. to 2 pm. on Dec. 15 in the parking lot of Glory Days Grillon Annapolis Road in Bowie. In addition to new or gently used coats, he will also be collecting new gloves, hats and scarves.

“I think it’s important because not a lot of young people give back to the community so I thought it would be a great idea for me to give back,” Sweeney said of his efforts to help those who are less fortunate.

For more information on the Warming Hearts Coat Drive, read the full event listing here.

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