PEABODY — It all started with Aunt Mary.
A few years ago, Macy’s employee Mary Marron wanted to do something to help feed Peabody students, who, through no fault of their own, suffered from food insecurity. Marron, whose niece was beloved superintendent of schools, Cara Murtagh (who died last year on Nov. 25), sprung into action.
What followed was a partnership that not only is helping to keep Peabody’s school children fed, but is also helping to keep them warm.
Monday at the North Shore Mall, Macy’s held its annual coat drive for the benefit of Peabody elementary students. Representatives from each of the city’s eight elementary schools were on hand to collect 100 Macy’s children’s coats and jackets, purchased thanks to a $3,000 grant from Macy’s. The coats were then brought back to the schools for distribution. A selection of coats will also be donated to the Hawk Shop at Higgins Middle School.
The program got its start quite innocently when Marron asked Macy’s store manager Danielle McKay for bags to donate to the No Child Goes Hungry in Peabody program.
“She asked me some questions about the program and that led to a discussion,” said Marron. “Six months later, Danielle asked if it was an ongoing program. After I told her how many people were being helped, she just took it and ran with it.”
McKay said the coat program was a logical follow up to Macy’s involvement with No Child Goes Hungry..
“Mary is the one who started our relationship with the schools and No Child Goes Hungry,” McKay said. “She brought me the information and we started learning more about it and began talking about grants with Jarrod (Hochman) and Cara. It’s developed into a wonderful relationship.”
McKay said Macy’s has donated more than $30,000 to No Child Goes Hungry from the round-up receipt in-store program, contributions and donations from employees, and actual grants.
“And it’s all because Mary introduced us to No Child Goes Hungry that first year,” McKay said. “After that, it became a matter of finding other ways we could help as the winter months rolled in, and that’s how we came up with the coat give-away.”
To date, more than 200 coats have been donated to students.
The grant requires that Peabody schools purchase the coats at Macy’s. Coats are selected by staff members of each school to match the coats to that school’s specific needs. Hochman said the grant, which was only $2,000 last year, is supplemented with cash and in-kind donations.
McKay said the grant program is a product of Macy’s “Giving” department, which awards grants to community-based charitable initiatives.
“It’s about individual stores getting involved in the community,” said McKay. “We also utilize our ‘Partners in Time’ program, which is all about employees donating their time to community initiatives. It’s our way of thanking our customers for supporting Macy’s.
“Mary has been such a big part of this, as her niece was superintendent of schools. It’s been an amazing partnership and, while Mary retired this year, we are going to work even harder to keep this alive for her and in honor of Cara. I told Jarrod that this is such an important year to keep this going and we don’t want this falling apart.”
“When Macy’s made that first donation to No Child Goes Hungry, people started talking about doing something other than food,” said Hochman, a member of Peabody’s school committee. “It was Cara’s Aunt Mary who put it all together.”
Fellow committee member Joe Amico said the city is fortunate to have “so many great Peabody businesses that support the schools and community.
“Macy’s is just one of many businesses that are giving back to us, and, right now, the need is more than ever,” he said. “It’s really nice to see this happen for the kids.”
Marron said that plans may be in the works for a hat and mitten drive before Christmas.
“These things were all so near and dear to Cara,” Marron said. “She always had a toy closet and would give gifts to needy kids, so this is very special to me. It keeps me connected to Cara in a special way.”
Anne Marie Tobin can be reached at [email protected].
