This fall, Strativera delivered more than 50 new winter coats, sweatpants, and pairs of gloves to elementary students at Lindenwold Public Schools in Camden County, New Jersey. Every item went to a family the school had already identified as needing support this winter. It was our first annual coat drive, and it started where Strativera started: in Camden County, a short drive from our Cherry Hill headquarters.
Why a marketing agency runs a coat drive
Strativera was built on a simple commitment: give more than we take. That is how we work with clients, and it has to show up in the county we call home. Winter is hard on families who are already stretched. A warm coat is a small thing for a company to provide and a very big thing for a child waiting at a bus stop in January.
What the students received
New insulated winter coats in kids’ sizes, fleece sweatpants, and knit gloves: more than 50 items, in a range of sizes and colors so every child could pick something they would actually want to wear. Pink and leopard-print puffers and star-print sweatpants for the youngest students; navy, charcoal, and rust coats for the older ones. Everything was sorted by size before it reached the school.
The school chose the families. We followed their lead.
We did not guess who needed help. Lindenwold’s staff know their students and their families, and they identified who could use a hand this winter. Our job was to show up with the right sizes, sorted and ready, so the school could get items to kids quickly and without fuss. That is the model we intend to repeat: a school that knows its families, and a business that follows the school’s lead.
Janae Tanner led the way
Janae Tanner, Strativera’s Co-Founder and VP of Growth & Client Success, led the drive and delivered the donation in person. She is the one holding up the coats in the photos, and the one who made sure every item was sorted and ready before it reached the school. Janae also serves as Vice President of BNI Cherry Hill East, the business network behind much of Strativera’s South Jersey community work.
Next year: 100+ coats and more Camden County schools
This is year one of something we intend to grow. For 2027, the goal is more than 100 coats, sweatpants, and gloves across more Camden County schools, with each school identifying the families it supports.
Two kinds of people can make that happen:
- School leaders: if your school has families who need winter gear, tell us at info@strativera.com.
- Business owners: if you run a Camden County company and want to join us, or adopt a school of your own, we will share exactly what worked, down to the sizing list. Reach us at info@strativera.com.
Thank you to the Lindenwold staff who welcomed us and who do this work for families all year long.
