Want to donate to Warm the Children? Download a donation form.

Letters have been coming in from volunteers and recipients alike praising the Warm the Children campaign this year. But there is still more to do as the year comes to an end.

In its 13th year, Warm the Children has continued to purchase cold-weather clothing such as coats, hats and scarves for children from underprivileged families. The children are chosen by school social workers. Getting to see the joyful faces of the children and their parents has made this a beloved activity for the volunteers who help the families with their purchases.

“It was so wonderful to see the joy on (the recipient’s) face as she picked out her warm clothing and boots,” volunteer Lanette Loudermilk wrote in a letter.

“Because of your kindness and generosity three of my children now have what they need to stay warm this winter,” wrote one recipient.

To help the campaign Nancy Meier, a pilates instructor at Personal Best Pilates, and her class decided to give to Warm the Children rather than exchange gifts.

Warm the Children has raised $ 186,324 as of last week, according to Kori Isaac, who coordinates the program at AnnArbor.com. But the program is still more than $63,000 short of its $250,000 goal.

The money raised this year will go toward buying coats and other warm clothing for children in 2010. More than 2,500 children have gotten coats and other warm clothing this year from donations raised during last year’s campaign, and the goal this year is to raise enough money to help 3,000 children in 2010.

AnnArbor.com covers the overhead costs, so all of the money raised goes directly to the campaign and to putting coats on the backs of those who need them. The program is co-sponsored by the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation.

If you would like to contribute to Warm the Children, you can use the coupon accompanying this story . For more information on the program, call the Warm the Children hotline at 734-623-2525.

You can also donate by visiting AnnArbor.com’s new community space on the first floor of 301 E. Liberty St. in downtown Ann Arbor and having a cup of coffee. The coffee is being donated on a rotating basis by local coffee roasters, and the suggested donation of $1.50 per cup goes directly to Warm the Children.

The campaign only runs through Dec 31, so now is the time to donate. Your money stays local and goes directly to buying clothes for the children who need them the most. It may be the best gift you buy this year.

Want to donate to Warm the Children? Download a donation form.