Winter in Johnstown has finally returned! Many of us are probably filled with excitement to return to snow-covered Subaru adventures, especially as the temperatures remain below average and accumulations do not appear to be melting fast. However, while we feel joy driving to our next adventure with our all-weather packages and best all-wheel drive system on the market, we cannot forget the children who cannot go on their own adventures, because they are inadequately dressed to go outside in these conditions.

We recognize this need during Subaru Loves to Help®. For the second year in a row, we teamed up with Operation Warm® and the Greater Johnstown Community YMCA® to hand out coats and shoes/socks to local children in need. After receiving a 500-pound pallet with brand new merchandise, suitable to fit children ages 2 through 11, we managed to pack every box into a single 2024 Subaru Ascent Limited. During a heavy snowstorm that dumped 4-5 inches of accumulation, we drove the Ascent to the YMCA, and set up a shopping experience for pre-registered kids inside the gymnasium.

The Johnstown YMCA, which offers a wide variety of children and youth services, summer camps, and activities, had both staff members and volunteers ready to greet us, opening their facility with cordiality rarely seen. Once the event began, the children were walked through the area by Spangler Subaru employees, finding their shoe and coat sizes, and picking out colors of their choosing. Of the event, Jolie Carey, Family and Youth Program Coordinator at the YMCA, said, “We’re really fortunate to have Spangler Subaru and Operation Warm be able to give kids warmth” and the partnership “[is] huge. On days like today where it’s snowing…a lot of kids don’t have jackets, they don’t have shoes, they don’t have socks.”

At the conclusion of the event, we managed to serve around 150 children locally.