New coats warm hearts of Round Lake Beach students

Raymond Ellis Elementary School children joyfully shuffled through new coats that were dropped off Tuesday at the Round Lake Beach School by members of a local church.

Pastor Choice Harris of Christian Faith Fellowship Church Round Lake said the congregation sponsored its first winter coat drive to benefit needy elementary schoolchildren and to help the Round Lake-area community. The church donated 50 warm weather coats for students in grades 1 to 5.

Principal Beth Kiewicz said there is a definite need for the coats and added that many of the children don’t own cold weather gear and depend on layering their clothes to stay warm.

“This is an amazingly generous donation from the congregation,” Kiewicz said. “We are very grateful for Pastor Harris and the congregation for thinking of the children during the holiday season and the upcoming cold weather.”

Harris said he hopes this community outreach will make a difference in the lives of the children and will compliment what other organizations are doing in the Round Lake community.

Christian Faith Fellowship Church Round Lake meets in the Round Lake Beach Sports Center. For information, call (847) 731-7732 or email them at cffcroundlake@gmail.com.