Volunteers and donations at the event.
Photo courtesy of Danielle Clark.
BY: SAWYER BURKE, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
On Saturday, Oct. 24, Operation Warm Hearts and EJ’s PJs partnered to hold a pajama drive, helping local children prepare for winter. Francis Zaklukiewicz, president of the Student Government Association, helped bring the two organizations together for the second consecutive year.
Operation Warm Hearts already hosts PJs and Pumpkins, an annual community event, and Zaklukiewicz saw an opportunity to expand the initiative through an organization with personal ties to his family.
EJ’s PJs, founded by Zaklukiewicz’s aunt, Patricia Poggi, is a nonprofit that collects and distributes pajamas to families in need mainly in the Long Island area.
“My aunt started EJ’s PJs in Long Island, and last summer I wanted to find a way to get more involved in the community here,” said Zaklukiewicz. “I asked if I could use her marketing plan and outline to bring to St. Bonaventure’s area.”
Zaklukiewicz was connected with Ann Marie Sitter Tompkins, co-founder of Operation Warm Hearts, and the organizations began working together.
“We decided we wanted to do warm PJs to get the kids ready for the winter season, and what a good time it would be to do it in the fall,” said Sitter Tompkins. “So, we decided to do this and incorporate it as PJs and Pumpkins, and then we met Francis and he told us about EJ’s PJs, and we partnered together.”
Operation Warm Hearts serves children in Cattaraugus County from birth through age 18. The organization’s mission is to ensure every child has appropriate clothing for each season while easing some of the challenges local families face.
“Most of us are retired teachers, and we know that children cannot learn in school when they are not comfortable,” said Sitter Tompkins.
Sitter Tompkins said the rising costs of winter essentials, including coats, boots and snow pants, have made providing seasonal clothing increasingly challenging for families. Through Operation Warm Hearts, each child receives at least $300 worth of clothing and other items.
“It is so important to have events like this in the community,” said Shayne DiSorbo, a member of the Operation Warm Hearts advisory board. “It allows children to have pajamas and other necessities so they can have the same things as everyone else at school.”
To collect enough donations to support local families, the organizers needed to find an effective way to reach the community.
Their initial efforts focused on digital advertisements and social media promotion, but the online campaign did not generate the response they had hoped for. The group then partnered with Bona Student Property Management to try a more direct approach.
“We weren’t getting many online donations, and the traction wasn’t really there, so we decided to partner with Bona Student Property Management.” Zaklukiewicz said. “We ordered 1,000 door hangers with information about the drive, including who we were partnered with and how people can get involved.”
On Oct. 10, volunteers distributed the door hangers and left bags on residents’ doorknobs, asking community members to leave donations outside for pickup on Oct. 17.
The response exceeded the organizers’ expectations.
“We went back and were completely amazed with how many people left bags out on the porch,” said Zaklukiewicz. “Everyone was very accepting, receptive and happy that we’re doing it.”
Approximately 80 children received donations during Saturday’s event.
“Communities are nothing without each other,” said Zaklukiewicz. “The goal is just to let people know that we are here for them and whatever they are going through.”
Zaklukiewicz was not the only St. Bonaventure student who stepped up to support this cause.
Braden Augustine, a senior at SBU, helped volunteer during this year’s event.
“Francis introduced me to EJ’s PJs, and I thought it would be a good way to get out in the community and help the children,” said Augustine.
For most of the year, Olean and Allegany are swarmed with college students living in their local communities. It is incredibly important that these students give back to the communities that welcome them every fall.
“I have been helping Francis with his projects since freshman year,” said Joseph Billone, a senior at SBU. “It’s all about giving back; this is your community.”
These values align with the university’s Franciscan tradition of service, which emphasizes compassion, community and helping those in need.
As winter approaches, the pajama drive reminds us of the impact small acts of kindness can have on local families. Through partnerships between community organizations and St. Bonaventure students, initiatives like this help ensure children have access to necessities while strengthening the bonds between the university and the surrounding community.
