Elementary students receive early holiday gifts of warmth
COLUMBUS, OHIO / ACCESS Newswire / November 24, 2025 / Pathways Financial Credit Union staff and board members came together to pass out coats to elementary school students in Columbus and Dayton as a part of the Bonzy Coat Days. In addition to helping the children pick coats that were sized correctly, the credit union's community initiative, Pathways Cares, donated $25,000 for the purchase of coats.
On November 6 and 7, eight schools with higher concentrations of low- and moderate-income households received coats, two of which were provided by Pathways. Over 4,000 coats were provided across all the schools that received support. Volunteers from Pathways enjoyed meeting the children and helping them to pick out a coat in a color they chose, and in just the right fit!
"It doesn't make the headlines when children are standing in the cold without a coat at the bus stop. We are making sure that this happens less and less," said Greg Kidwell, president of Pathways.
This is the third year that Pathways has participated in this coat drive. Pathways worked closely with Bonzy to coordinate the coat days so that they could support schools in neighborhoods that Pathways serves. The partnership between Pathways and Bonzy Charities is particularly strong because of shared values in supporting the needs of our communities.
One of the Pathways' employees who participated in the event, Brent Fisher, reflected on the impact the event had on him, "You can see the joy on the faces of the children when they're allowed to pick out their own coat, put their name inside it, and know that it's theirs, and that they'll be warm. There were plenty of smiles and hugs to go around today."
Pathways Cares is committed to helping the communities the credit union serves. In 2025, the credit union supported many organizations through financial support and volunteer efforts. Some of those organizations include: Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation, Final Third Foundation, Shoes 4 the Shoeless, Making Strides - American Cancer Society, multiple food banks throughout Central Ohio, Dayton, and Cleveland as well supporting other local organizations in the communities that Pathways serves.
About Pathways: Pathways Financial Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit, full-service financial institution with assets of over $750 million, serving over 54,000 consumer and business members with 12 branch locations and 133 employees throughout Central, Western, Northeast and Southern Ohio. Pathways has been named one of the best credit unions in Ohio by Forbes and was ranked the sixth fastest-growing credit unions in the United States.
Contact Information
Brent Fisher
AVP, Marketing
bfisher@pathwayscu.com
614-416-7588 x1463
SOURCE: Pathways Financial Credit Union
Related Images
Volunteers from Pathways Financial Credit Union helped local elementary student pick out and try on new coats for winter for the Bonzy Coat Days.
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/banking-and-financial-services/pathways-partners-to-provide-more-than-1-000-coats-to-children-in-co-1106549
