Members of the Coast Guard and partners at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shared the holiday spirit with students at Anita J. Turner Elementary School in Washington, D.C., during a holiday gift drive, Tuesday, Dec. 21.
Turner Elementary students received 195 gift bags and 215 coats surpassing initial goals of the drive. Gift bags contained winter clothes like coats, jackets, hats, and gloves, and other items like headphones, candy, toys, and more. All items included in the gift bags came from the generous support of donors. Volunteers assembled the gift bags during a “packing party”. Many people donated items and over 50 volunteers invested numerous hours in the drive, making it a huge success.
“The Coast Guard and DHS are active members of the communities they serve and this drive made a positive impact on the local population right outside of our gate,” said Chaplain Andrew Hoyle, Coast Guard Headquarters Partnership in Education (PIE) coordinator. “It was great to bring warmth and joy to the students. Seeing the smile on their faces as they were handed their gifts, I could tell that we made their holiday special.”
Coast Guard and DHS hold a holiday drive annually at St. Elizabeth’s campus, but this is the first drive working directly with a school as part of the Coast Guard’s PIE program. PIE unites the Coast Guard family with local schools and communities providing a chance to work directly with students, enhance educational opportunities, and raise awareness about the service.
For more information on Coast Guard headquarters' PIE program, please email Chaplain Andrew Hoyle.
If you’re interested in the PIE program, but located outside of the National Capital Region, please email Juan Torres.
You can find additional information about the PIE program here.