By Jordan Nelson

November 20, 2017 - Alpha Natural Resources (ANR) has donated over 20 coats to Mount Hope, West Virginia Elementary School students who would not otherwise have a coat.

ANR employee Glenna Rollins presented 26 coats to MHES Principal Marsha Bishop Thursday. Several students expressed appreciation. 

“Look at me! Now I am warm and beautiful!” one student shouted in delight. 

Bishop said one student thanked her three times for giving her a winter coat.

“It’s just a really heart-warming experience,” she said. “To know there are people out there who care about these little kids is really something special.” 

Knights of Columbus in Beckley also donated winter coats to MHES — a total of 25. 

“We now have 51 coats we were able to give to our kids, and that, that’s just something indescribable,” Bishop said. 

Bishop said the coats will all be distributed to students they think need them most.

Rollins said MHES was just one pit stop on their coat distribution list. ANR plans to distribute $16,000 worth of coats this winter. 

“We are going to end up donating 850 to 1,000 coats throughout several counties in West Virginia,” Rollins said. “Last year we gave them to just pre-K students, but we’ve stepped it up this year.”

ANR will donate coats to the Women’s Resource Center, churches and elementary schools.

Rollins explained ANR does not have a large amount of corporate money due to the coal industry decline.

“So this year our employees, including miners, took it upon themselves to purchase new coats for the coat drive, or donate gently used ones,” Rollins said. “And it is phenomenal the kindness that has been expressed by our coal miners.”

We live in a tough time, she said, and the needs of children must come first. 

“When you can do something, even if it’s not much, to fulfill a need, it’s really a life-changing experience.” 

Rollins said attitudes found in West Virginia’s coal industry are some of the best around. 

“The things they’ve been willing to do for these young kids is really remarkable.” 

Bishop said she is overwhelmed with the kindness expressed by ANR.

“Their generosity and their spirit of giving has just been amazing,” Bishop said. “West Virginians are some of the most generous people in the country. They see a need and they help to fill the need. A child getting their hands on a new coat, when they may have not even had one before, is just a priceless moment.”