South Boston Probation Officer Barbara Loftus and 5th graders at Joseph Tynan Elementary School have teamed up to spread holiday cheer and warmth to Boston’s homeless and senior citizens as part of Cold Hands, Warm Heart, a lesson in empathy. Loftus and her Probation colleagues will go to the school, located at 650 E. 4th Street, to pick up the gift bags the students decorated and listen to several of the students read the personal messages they wrote which will be tucked into each bag and distributed to the homeless and elderly. The bags will be filled with items collected by Probation including cold weather gear such as hats, gloves, and hand warmers as well as holiday goodies including cookies, candies, granola bars, tea and hot chocolate.
Tynan School Principal Leslie Gant said of this effort, “I think it is important to teach the children to be selfless and to introduce the concept of generosity and the importance of being in service to others.” South Boston Probation is distributing 160 of these bags this season and will be handing them out to the homeless after they leave the school.
