By Greg Ellison

Staff Writer

(Jan. 30, 2020) Ocean Pines residents Kathy Grimes and Kennis Austin, who in addition to sharing a zip code are both alumni of Radford University in Virginia, have started a new charitable endeavor to provide clothing and supplies to students in need at Pocomoke Elementary School.

To launch the venture, Grimes said more than a dozen cold-weather items, including coats, hats and gloves  were dropped off to Pocomoke Principal Dr. Michael Browne and Assistant Principal Faye Williams on Tuesday.

“We have now joined in partnership with them [and] will be providing things seasonally for them,” she said.

Grimes and Austin, who are both members of the Delmarva Radford Univ. Alumni Association, dreamt up the venture late last year while having lunch at DiFebo’s in Berlin.

“We decided … because it was late December we would do a coat drive … for these children that have no coats,” she said. “We also got hats and gloves.”

Grimes credited Austin, a student services specialist with

Photo courtesy: Kathy Grimes
On Tuesday more than a dozen items were donated to extend warmth to students at Pocomoke Elementary School, pictured from left are, Principal Dr. Michael Browne, Kathy Grimes, Wesley Grimes, 3, and Assistant Principal Faye Williams.

, with directing the effort to Pocomoke.

“It was Kennis’s idea [and] he said the Pocomoke area needs jackets,” she said. “When I contacted Dr. Browne …. he said, ‘I’m all about whatever the kids can have to help them.’”

Recognizing needs exists beyond winter, the duo intends to revive the undertaking this spring with clothing items or academic supplies.

“The gym teacher came in and said, ‘we really need shoes for the kids,’” she said.

Grimes said after establishing an ongoing plan for donations with Pocomoke Elementary the obvious gratitude was palatable.

“It does my heart good,” she said. “The look on his face … he was just delighted that somebody was going to come in and help.”