Coats for Kidz

Twenty percent of the children in San Antonio, Texas, live under the poverty line, regularly experiencing food and housing insecurity. During its winters, thousands of children in the city go without adequate winter clothing, leading to increased absenteeism and disengagement with support systems like access to meals and counseling. FPO Marketing, the City of San Antonio, and Studying Mindful Arts Resources Together (SMART) joined together to launch an "artivism" campaign, Coatz4Kidz. The project jointly raises awareness of the issue and collects coats for children in need. In its first year, the campaign successfully held a city-wide clothing drive using social media, email, and partnering with local businesses that resulted in hundreds of coats being distributed to children in need. In partnership with Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada, an internationally recognized artist, Coatz4Kidz also created an art installation featuring a child in need. Local schoolchildren contributed to the creation of the piece, layering donated coats over the image to create a coat of the young girl; a 'Portrait of Warmth.