A community-driven initiative in Slatington is doing its best to ensure families stay warm this holiday season.

The fourth annual “Project Warm and Cozy” is underway, according to Denise “NeiceEIE” Martinez, founder/CEO/president of Caring “Dam” Hearts, Slatington.

Martinez said that in the first year, they collected over 300 hats, gloves and scarves in a two-week span, which she “thought was amazing.”

Martinez said in the second year, they collected 500 pieces, and in the third year, they began collecting jackets and ended with a total of 600 pieces.

She said this year, they have surpassed over 600 items, with 150-200 jackets among them.

“It was incredible; I cannot believe the attention this is getting this year,” Martinez said. “I’m so blessed by the outpouring of support; this is really catching on.”

While it’s always held the first Saturday of the month, Martinez said they postponed it to this past Sunday on account of the weather.

“By Monday, I had more volunteers and we replenished some more items that came in,” she said. “People can still come with their families and hang their items.”

Martinez said “Project Warm and Cozy” is still going on until the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

She said the way it works is the items are hung on a line, and then people take what they need.

The project has caught the eye of at least one local youth, Robert Kromer, a first-grade student at St. John Neumann Regional School’s Slatington Campus.

Robert’s mother, Amanda Kromer, said her family met “NeiceEIE” last year on a bus trip, and after learning of the initiative, chose to get involved with last year’s project.

Amanda said the project left quite the impression on Robert, 6, of Palmerton.

“He (Robert) approached me this year and said, ‘is there going to be another “Project Warm and Cozy,” and can we get our school involved,’” Amanda said. “He wanted to get his school to help “Project Warm and Cozy”; he saw how it affected people and people who didn’t have hats, coats, gloves, scarves and wanted to give them things to keep them warm.”

Amanda said she was impressed with her son’s thoughtfulness.

“He has such a kind heart, that he was even more so concerned about there being not just adults out there, but kids out there without gloves and coats and scarves,” she said. “He wanted to do something to give back and be a part of it this year.”

Amanda said she then reached out to Robert’s school principal, Mary Comensky, to gauge her interest in the project.

“Our family’s big into donations and giving back,” Amanda said. “The school is so amazing at giving back to the community; she (Comensky) was wonderful as well in setting this up with the school.”

Amanda said Robert were able to get both of the school’s campuses - Slatington and Palmerton - involved, and between them, they collected for the entire month of November.

“Probably close to 100 donations if not more than that, in one box, separate piles of over 40 hats, over 40 gloves, some scarves, socks, headbands; a little bit of everything,” she said. “We’re really proud of him; our family also has an animal rescue, and he doesn’t like to see anybody or any animal suffer.”

Amanda praised “NeiceEIE” for “Project Warm and Cozy.”

“What NeiceEIE is doing for our community is absolutely astonishing; she is really a hero to all of us,” she said. “We admire her for everything that she does, and she is a huge inspiration.”

Martinez said the group has two locations in Slatington; one at the D&L Trailhead on North Railroad Street, as well as at the Slatington Springside Fish Hatchery on Route 873/Main Street.

“We are currently looking for space in Slatington for a store that would be similar to my Allentown location,” she said. “We are always open to volunteer opportunities.”

Martinez said she just opened a store called Caring Hearts Closet, 1341 W. Linden St., in Allentown.

“Everything in our store is for free,” she said. “We run off monetary donations through churches, businesses, to keep us up and running, and is what we need to keep this facility running.”

Martinez said the local 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established in 2016 also does online raffles, as well as lots of fundraising.

For more information, visit them on Facebook at CaringDamHearts and CaringHeartsCloset, call them at 484-240-9774, or email them at caringdamhearts@gmail.com.