Girl Collects, Ships Warm Clothes To 200 Families In Need

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A tireless Annapolis ninth-grader is working day and night to provide Maryland families with warm clothes and accessories in the coming winter months. Haley Havard started the non-profit Haley's Helping Hands of Maryland, Inc. when she was only 11 years old. She works out of her garage to pack boxes full of gently-used clothing and shoes to low-income families, mostly around Maryland.

Now that the temperatures are dropping, Haley has launched her "Warming Up For Winter Campaign" to donate much needed hats, gloves, scarves, jackets and shoes to families who need it in her community. She has already sent over 60 boxes so far this season, with a goal to ship clothes to 200 families by February. Haley said the donations she needs the most are coats, plus-size clothing, and kids/teen clothing sizes 8 through 16.

Haley, 14, a student at the private Key School in Annapolis, said her busiest time of year is from early November to late February. Last year, she shipped about 3,200 items to 130 families in need in Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Haley relies on both in-kind and monetary donations to keep operating and to ship the items free of charge for the families. Since her goal is to ship to 200 families this winter, the shipping costs for those boxes are about $2,600. Haley works diligently to keep the shipping cost free for families and is raising money on CrowdRise to help do so.

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Haley receives most of the clothing and shoes through donations from people in Annapolis, as well as through Facebook. At times, she donates her own clothes that she's grown out of, and she's even gone to stores to buy specific items families ask for if that particular item hasn't been donated, like a pair of plus-size jeans or a kid size.

Haley said "picking out the specific items and knowing that that's going to keep someone warm and healthy throughout the winter and summer" is the most rewarding part of what she does.

Haley's mom helps her pack boxes in their garage on the weekend to send out the following week. Although Haley usually ships her packages to Maryland, she recently connected with a family in Missouri and even send clothes to an orphanage in India. So far she's reached families in Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Missouri.

Not only does Haley send families clothes, she's dedicating her time off from school to help out at a Thanksgiving event with the non-profit Neen Cares. Low-income families will be fed a Thanksgiving lunch at a church in Annapolis, while Haley passes out warm winter clothes. She has 20 large trash bags full of clothes to donate, she told Patch.

"It's a big commitment but definitely very rewarding," Haley said.

As Haley's organization continues to grow, she now primarily receives requests for items directly from the families through her website. Check out the link for more information.

Photos: Haley's Helping Hands of Maryland, Inc.