Westhampton Beach High School Junior Gives Back To Local Community With “Baby It’s Cold Outside” Winter Drive

Westhampton Beach High School junior Grace O’Hare helped warm the hearts of many this winter. The local teen successfully collected more than 100 new, warm clothes for Maureen’s Haven, a non-profit whose mission is to “protect the East End homeless by providing shelter, supportive services and compassionate care for individuals in need,” and the Family Service League, a Huntington-based organization that “helps individuals, children, and families to mobilize their strengths and improve the quality of their lives at home, in the workplace, and in the community,” as part of a fundraiser she initiated with the catchy moniker “Baby It’s Cold Outside.”

Fellow students at Westhampton Beach High School donated new sweatshirts, t-shirt, hats, gloves, socks, scarves, and any other warm item they could. Bake sales also contributed to raising money for the purchasing of even more donations.

O’Hare’s mother gave her the idea of starting this helpful fundraiser in the midst of harsh New York winters. Since her mother was organizing a toy drive for the holidays, this sparked her interest in providing the needy with warm clothes.

“I felt that if they don’t have enough money for toys, then they don’t have enough for warm clothes either,” she explained.

People will continue to benefit from the generosity of O’Hare and fellow students as she has plans to continue this successful fundraiser next winter along with the Rotary/Interact Club at Westhampton Beach High School.

For more information about Maureen’s Haven, visit maureenshaven.com. For more information about the Family Service League, visit www.fsl-li.org.