What started out as a simple project for the homeless, 11 year old Avery Cole, Warren County 4-H member, has made a HUGE IMPACT on the most vulnerable residents of Bowling Green, our homeless population.  Estimates of 400-600 homeless people are living in Warren County. Avery started “Operation Cold Hands, Warm Hearts” and “Bags for Beds” after reading a report by the National Coalition for the Homeless that 700 homeless people die from hypothermia each year in the United States.To date she has distributed over 100 scarves created by youth groups as well as many mittens, gloves, hats, hygiene products, clothing, non-perishable food items and 20 hand-made sleeping mats. 

Avery started her project in November 2017, and since then she has worked with 8 youth groups, nine community organizations, and seven media outlets including radio, TV, and Facebook. Her winter project included collecting and making fleece scarves, getting donations for hats and gloves and distributing these items around Bowling Green.  She attached a tag on each item that said, “I am Not Lost, it is with love that we made the scarf to help make your day. If you are cold or feeling blue…tie me around your neck with your cold hands, and let the warmth of the scarf warm your heart”. While leaving scarves in various places around Bowling Green she met a man with tears in his eyes wanting to know how he could help. She also met a couple from San Antonia who works with the homeless. They had never heard of this project before and was going to start a similar project in their hometown.  

In January 2018, she started  “Bags for Beds”.  She collected over 12,000 plastic grocery bags and with help from family members crocheted 20 plastic sleeping mats.  Avery gave away the mats in early June so that the homeless would stay dry during the summer months. One gentleman came up to her to let her know that “he sleeps on cardboard and that it gets wet but the plastic sleeping mat will help him stay dry at nights”.  At one of the distribution sites, Avery encountered a former pro-baseball player who became homeless after he suffered a debilitating injury and could no longer work.  He was very thankful for the work she was doing to help the homeless.  You can follow Avery’s Project on Facebook by looking up Operation Cold Hands, Warm Hearts.  She plans to continue this project year-round. 

This is Avery’s third year in 4-H. She has learned confidence, leadership, communication skills and empathy by participating in the speech and demonstration project, competing in public speaking contests at the county, area, and state levels, and working with her 4-H clubs—The Hip Hoppers 4-H Rabbit Club and Rough Riders 4-H Horse Club as a club officer. This reporting agent has worked with Avery through her 4-H clubs to provide her tools to problem solve and complete tasks.