WASHINGTON 鈥� Tatiana Sweeney stood in the cold outside Bin 1301 Wine Bar on U Street聽in front of tables piled high with coats for the Annual Warming Hearts聽Coat Drive.
Now in its eighth year, the event began when her son was just 10-years-old. “I went inside the store and when I came out, my son didn’t have聽a coat on,” said Sweeney.
Her son had given his coat to a classmate who walked by without one.
鈥淭hrough casual conversation, he ended up disclosing that his family聽couldn鈥檛 afford coats this year,鈥� said Sweeney.
Her son is now off to college, but Sweeney’s two younger聽sons and some high school students have taken time to help continue what he sparked: making聽sure families in need stay warm.
Her 14-year-old son, Jayden, says it鈥檚聽about continuing what his brother started and having a positive impact on聽the community.
鈥淚t makes me feel good that I know people are going to be warm,鈥� said聽Sweeney.
Kyres Dawson is a high school student also volunteering to help collect and hand out coats. “It just really shows me how fortunate I am and how I can help other people out because it’s too cold to be out here without a聽jacket,鈥� said Dawson.
