In December 2009, we distributed more than 300 pairs of gloves to companies in the Denver Metro area. We asked recipients to Spread the Warmth by giving the gloves to someone who needed them. Following are firsthand accounts from people in the community who chose to lend a hand.

Lori Ropa / National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped
The gloves were a wonderful idea! My sons and I were heading into the grocery store and brought them with us in case they were having a clothing drive. When we couldn’t find a donation bin, my 9-year old remembered the Salvation Army bell ringer outside of the store. We approached her, and she was delighted to take the gloves with her, assuring my kids that they would find a good home for them. Thanks for making it easy for people to do one more kind thing over the holidays!

Marie Rotter / Xcel Energy
My son’s school was taking donations for hats, gloves and coats to go to needy families in the Northwest metro area. They were well below goal, so when I got my pair of gloves, I asked my team if they wanted to donate theirs and took 10 pairs of gloves to my son’s school (plus two more that I bought). They were able to meet their goal, help out families, and my son learned a valuable lesson. Thank you!

Kathy Forchas / Golden History Museums
We gave our pair of gloves to the Jeffco Action Center, as we know they serve needy folk and they do good work.

Virgil Gooselaw / Retired United Pilots Association
The gloves were given to our next door neighbor. She is a mother of 3 small children and the husband is a painter and does not work consistently since the weather has gotten colder. She was very appreciative of the gloves and said she could use them.

Anonymous Contributor
I think the spread the warmth idea with gloves for those who need them is wonderful. I left the decision of giving the gloves out to my four-year old son. He kept them in his jacket pocket for several days. On New Year’s Eve night, during the celebrations in the street, my son decided to give the gloves to a little girl his age, a complete stranger, who didn’t have gloves and not enough warm layers on her. I remember my son saying, “you must be cold ... here.” It was a great, proud moment for me as a dad.

Vanessa Yohe / Xcel Energy
My colleague’s son’s kindergartner’s class was collecting gloves that were they were going to donate to a homeless shelter in Boulder County. I can’t thank DW Mail enough for doing this. The gloves were wonderful because they could fit a child/teen or adult. Thanks again for helping us give back to the community during these difficult
economic times.

Anonymous Contributor
I gave the gloves to a homeless person at a stoplight.

Jessica Grant / Bondi & Co. LLC
These gloves were given to Redemption Fellowship. Redemption Fellowship feeds people in need and hands out warm clothes during the winter months twice a week in City Park.

Anonymous Contributor
Driving home one evening I gave them to a man panhandling at the corner of Colfax and Monaco.

Georgia Brown / American Water Works Association
At first, I didn’t know what to do with the gloves. They sat in the box on my desk for a couple days. Then it hit me! I put them in my purse and carried them with me for about a week. Admittedly, I used them a couple times, but on a cold day, I pulled up to a stoplight and there was a woman panhandling for money. I asked if she wanted them and sure enough, she did. I smiled the whole way home.

Anonymous Contributor
I had mine in the car with me on the way home the night I received the package in the mail at work. At one of the stoplights along my route there was a man with a sign asking for money, food or any help I could give. So, I rolled down my window, gave him my gloves and wished him a happy new year.

Anonymous Contributor
Many employees [here] are single parents struggling to care for their families. I chose to give these to one of our staff who used them for one of their kids.

Jill Turner / Colorado Society of CPA’s
I received the gloves the same day we were giving one of our caterers’ employees a bag of items that our Society had put together for this family that was in need. I took my gloves down to the mother who was in our facility at the time and she was very grateful. She said her daughter needed them.

Anonymous Contributor
I put mine on the hat, gloves and socks giving tree at church. Donations went to various charities for the homeless.

Jan Samuelson / Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration
My church has a clothes closet and food pantry every 2nd Saturday of every month, which I am a part of. I took the gloves to the clothes closet and found a child that really needed them and gave them the gloves. The girl was so excited she said she was going to wear them to school. Her mom was very appreciative she said she was looking for something warm for her. I also made sure we could find a jacket for her.

Phil Vogels / Sommelier Journal LLC
My wife donated our gloves at her work, Denver Children’s Home, which is devoted to helping children with mental health problems and their families. Many of these families come from poor socioeconomic backgrounds and the gloves found a home with someone who needed them.

Anonymous Contributor
I donated the gloves along with other warm clothing to Goodwill Industries.

Ann Marie Estrada / Society of Mining, Metallurgy, & Exploration
When I took the gloves home I placed them on my kitchen counter. Shortly thereafter my daughter’s 17 year old friend came over for a visit. She commented on the gloves and asked who they belong to. She said she wished that she had gloves like that because they were so cute and her hands were cold from walking to our house and being out in the weather. She said that she did not have any gloves. I handed her the gloves and said that they now belonged to her! Merry Christmas!

Bill Johnson / Oswego Creative Inc.
Even though we are a small office, during Christmas time we all pitch in and collect clothes to be donated to the needy. The gloves were a welcome addition to our donation.

Robin Ridley / Parfait Studio LLC
On my way to a meeting, I stopped at a busy intersection. To my left, I saw a man holding a battered piece of cardboard that read, “Tired, hungry, creative, and 75 years old. Please help.” Aside from the fact that his sign piqued my curiosity, I noticed that he wore only one mitten in the cold. Fortunately, I had been carrying the gloves around in my bag, waiting for a good opportunity to give them out. I rolled down my window and asked if he could use a new pair. “Sure could,” he responded (seemingly unsurprised), and I wondered how many strange offers of
assistance he’d received in the past. I handed over the gloves and he grinned, thanking me warmly. As he turned away, I couldn’t help asking, “So what does your sign mean by ‘creative’?” Immediately, he perked up. “I make
medallions,” he said, proudly digging out the cord he wore around his neck. “This one symbolizes the planet Jupiter.” He started to tell me more, but just then the light changed, forcing me to break off the conversation with a wave.

James Gallardo / Fast-Track Marketing
Nearly a week after I first received the package from DW Mail, I decided that I was going to take the container of gloves somewhere downtown over the weekend and give them to someone who needed them. While on my way home from work, driving trough the masses of traffic lodged on the turnpike, I made my way off the highway and onto the exit. Near the end of the exit located at the intersection I noticed a woman bundled in a purple coat holding a wet cardboard sign that read, “Out of work. Anything helps”. She was alone on the corner standing in the 10 degree weather trying to keep warm from the cold Colorado snow. As I approached her in my vehicle I looked to her hands to see if she was wearing any gloves. Regardless of the snow and cold weather she wasn’t wearing any. Her hands were as red as a batch of apples, and as her hair was wavering in the wind I could see she was suffering. So before the light turned green I reached over to the passenger seat and grabbed the plastic container containing the small black gloves, rolled down my window and held it out for her to take. Accustomed to receiving a few flimsy dollars held in the passerby’s hands she hesitated for a few seconds trying to identify what it was that was being presented to her. In the few seconds between the exchange I said “it looks like maybe you could use these”, she smiled grabbed the gloves and said “thank you young man, and God bless”. As the light turned green I nodded, smiled back and continued on my journey home. Unaware that the gloves would come in handy so soon, I was glad that I had the opportunity to help out a fellow citizen thanks to DW Mail and the Urban Peak.

Anonymous Contributor
I placed my gloves in a clothes donation drop box, so although I don’t know exactly who received them, I’m sure they are appreciating their warmth this season.

Becky O’Brian / Customer Communications Group
I was very excited to receive the gloves with the intention of giving them to someone who could really use them. One of our copywriter’s here lives in the mountains, and is always battling the cold. She also has a son, and could use a little help. So I gave the gloves to her. She was very appreciative! Thank you for the opportunity to do something nice for someone I value.

Katia Gelman / Bonfils Blood Center
Even though we didn’t share gloves with anyone in particular, we recognized uniqueness of the idea and great marketing strategy behind this campaign and decided to keep. Thank you for doing this.

Deborah Anastasi / Xcel Energy
I gave my gloves to a colleague whose son’s kindergarten class was collecting gloves for holiday donations. We received your gloves on the last day for bringing donations to their school, so it was very timely! Nice idea. Thanks.

Jonathan Pite / Pite Creative Services, Inc.
Looked in the box and saw the little gloves. Brought them home to send to my young niece when my wife said “wait - they’ll fit me!” Thanks!

Anonymous Contributor
We collected more than 15 pair of gloves from staff and took the box to Jeffco Action Center.

Julia Marchant / Ripcord
Hi All! I gave my gloves to a woman who works as a fashion consultant but also donates and shares gently used clothes with women who want to dress professionally but can’t afford to really buy anything. It was a great thing D W Mail did and I’d love to participate again. Thank you!

Anonymous Contributor
On an extremely cold wintry night, I gave the gloves to the busser at a restaurant at which I was eating.

Nikki Blessinger / Xcel Energy
My gloves went to a local elementary school’s glove drive.

Mary Lalone / Xcel Energy
I donated them to Adams County Family Services.

Anonymous Contributor
One of our employees, who regularly uses the Denver bus system to and from work, gave the gloves to another bus “regular” who had been noticed to be without gloves many times. Our good samaritan also personally provided a scarf and hat. So thank you DW for your inspiration.

Anonymous Contributor
I gave our gloves to Redemption Fellowship where they were handing out coats and gloves to those in need at City Park for New Years.

Chuck McCoy / Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
The City of Arvada has a great program around Christmas time of getting presents to deserving families in the Arvada Center. Throughout the year (I don’t know exactly how) they complied a list of families that can’t afford the luxury of presents. They get a list from the moms of what the kid’s want. A lot of times it’s practical things, likes gloves but mostly cool toys and clothes and the Moms never seem to ask for anything themselves. If anyone working for the city wants to, they can donate to a family. The City will give you an anonymous list from a family. At the Center we had two families and got a ton of stuff for the kid’s and parents. We never know who the families are, but we know someone out there somewhere is having a better Christmas. The gloves went to someone somewhere out there.

Tina Treants / Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities
We participate in a program called “Light Up the Holidays” and gave the gloves to a family in need.

Anonymous Contributor
I gave the gloves to an employee here to give to their kids. Single parent I’m sure they were put to good use.

Patti Whitter / EBD
We participated in a Homeless Sock Drive. We were a drop off point for many other places to bring in their sock donations. I decided to give my gloves along with the socks so that someone could get warm socks and warm gloves. We have many homeless people around our neighborhood. The man I wanted to give them to, already had gloves with the fingers missing so he could play his guitar. I gave him some blankets from home instead.

Dan DeGrush / Lifescape Associates Inc.
When I received the gloves it was just a few days before Christmas and the snow was flying. It was the chilly, December 23 afternoon and I was walking home from work by the Denver Mission on Park and Broadway. Rather than handing the gloves out to any person in particular, I set them on a concrete bench. I stayed for just a moment to see who would take them. Sure enough, a shorter man leaned over to the gloves after blowing on his hands, inspected the red gloves, and placed them on his wrinkled hands. He didn’t spend more than a second looking around to see who may have left them - he didn’t need to. He now had warm hands.

Christian Hawley / Xcel Energy
I gave it to a co-worker, whose school was collecting the homeless. He managed to gather more than anyone in his class.

Anonymous Contributor
The gloves were the perfect size for a little boy I came across standing outside of King Soopers with his mother. He had no gloves and it was very, very cold out. He was rubbing his hands on his pants and jumping up and down to stay warm. I just happened to have the gloves in my purse and gave them to him. He was thrilled.

Anonymous Contributor
Thanks again for the gloves during the Christmas campaign. I gave them to an elementary school collecting for such.

Anonymous Contributor
I had my son take the gloves to Denver Rescue Mission. They were very happy to get the gloves.

Anonymous Contributor
I gave the gloves to the Faith Bible chapel when we went to watch their Christmas program, they had a box in the lobby for children.

Anonymous Contributor
I love your gift - very thoughtful and inspiring. Patti gave the gloves to me and asked to give them to someone that needs them. I said this is really a neat idea. I gave the gloves to a member of my Rotary Club, and asked her to give them to someone that needs them. She works with the families in need in the Golden area. She said this is a really neat idea. The gloves inspired three of us - that’s great! I’m sure she gave them to someone in need. Thanks so much.

Deborah Williams / Design & Image
I donated the gloves to the Goodwill on Leetsdale. So, while I didn’t give them to someone, they were purchased for a small amount and someone who needed them received them and a small donation was made to a worthy charity.

Marilyn Anderson / Anderson Creative LLC
For our BIG family Christmas day event: We each draw 1 name to purchase a “secret Santa” gift with a limit of $20. Then we have a gift-wrapping contest, i.e.; the most creative, prettiest, silliest, funniest, ugliest… I used the gloves you sent as one of the prizes the winner could choose from. The gloves where received thankfully as they had just lost the mate to their other pair! Thank you!

Brandi Sullenberge / Xcel Energy
I gave the gloves to a coworker whose son’s kindergarten class was collecting gloves for needy families in Northglenn for the holidays. Thanks!

Adam Lang / Water Research Foundation
My wife teaches in an elementary school in a low-income area. She gave the gloves to another teacher there who has a kid who can use them.