Oh, the weather outside is frightful/But the fire is so delightful/And since we’ve no place to go/Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow….
This timeless ditty may conjure happy images and feelings for most people, but there are children in the West New York area who may not have the same reaction. The "let it snow" part can present a problem when the coat one is wearing to school is torn, or worse, not even there. Many school-age children show up at local schools without warm winter coats, officials say. Not only is it a health issue, but it is an embarrassing one as well.
The North Hudson Coats for Kids Organization has been actively trying to remedy this problem since 2000. Coordinated and run by West New York real estate agent Maria Malavasi, the organization has, in a very short time, taken on a life of its own. According to Malavasi, "It’s tough to keep a number on how many coats we have at any given time because so many come in then go right out." Adds Malavasi, "As fast as they come, they go."
The idea started three years ago with Malavasi’s father.
"My father, Mario, started this as an idea when this office was a restaurant, an Italian pizza parlor," she said. (It was called Kay’s Corner, but everybody referred to it as "Mario’s"). "Kids from St. Joseph’s and the Number 4 School would come in every day. He was very observant, and if he saw that a child came in without mittens on a cold day, he would take them aside and ask them if they needed some. If they did, he got them." Added Malavasi, "Whatever he could do, he did. My dad was always involved in the community."
Malavasi took her father’s generous nature and made it into something tangible by officially forming the organization. It is coordinated through the West New York Board of Education. Fliers are sent out to principals of schools in the area announcing the drive. Each school nurse is expected to keep an eye out for certain children who appear to need a coat. Sometimes, according to Malavasi, the children ask for the coats themselves. Adds Malavasi, "We try to keep this confidential. It’s embarrassing for them."
According to Malavasi, the organization has moved past Hudson County’s borders. "We’re now delivering coats to New York City, Toms River, Elizabeth, Irvington," she said. She added that local media coverage has really helped. She also mentioned that many local churches are involved. Surprisingly, a church in Bergen County’s Franklin Lakes Township is involved directly with the NHCK organization. Said Malavasi, "Sister Evelyn at The Most Blessed Sacrament Chruch is great. She collects coats up there and sends them to us."
Local businesses are also involved. According to Malavasi, "Local businesses donate new coats every year. El Bambi and Little Marcy’s in West New York and Cottage Coat in North Bergen donate every year."
Also helping the organization is the Jellybean Youth Center in Union City. Said owner Mitch Cohen, "Basically, Maria comes in and chooses whatever coats are needed and whatever they cost me is what she pays. It’s basically wholesale. I make no money off of it." Malavasi pays for the coats with money from small donations and from her own pocket.
Added Cohen, "If more stores did this, there wouldn’t be a problem." Cohen also added that this year he has handed over about two dozen coats to the organization.
Also involved with the effort is Malavasi’s business partner and fiance Mark Quartello and her son Brad, who delivers the coats and is also responsible for coordinating the paperwork. He does this in her office at Palisadium Real Estate.
It’s a true family effort.
Malavasi has a different view of the local kids than most people. "Everybody thinks they’re so bad because they wear baggy pants and bandanas, but a lot of them have to do that to not get beat up," she said. "They’re really good kids."
Malavasi added that many local kids come to her real estate office after school just to hang out and talk. "Many of them just want to feel safe," she said.
Putting her money where her mouth is, Malavasi has also formed a scholarship organization named after her father, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. The Mario P. Malavasi Foundation, LLC earmarks money to help a local student with college costs. Said Malavasi, "Last year, it was $2,000." The student is chosen by Malavasi. And it’s not just by their grades, but "if they have four or five siblings at home and things are tough, I take all of that into consideration." The money comes from small private donations and through Malavasi’s real estate company, Palisadium Real Estate.
Said Malavasi, "We don’t consider ourselves an organization. We’re a family."
Anyone interested in donating a coat to the North Hudson Coats for Kids organization can call (201) 868-4700 and ask for Maria.