When Eliana Baena came across an angel tree at Christmastime containing wish lists for struggling families, she and her husband Jake McWilliams decided to respond. Baena and McWilliams are the owners of Gotta Go Potties in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania. They were always big supporters of their community, making donations to local funds and discounting their services for charitable groups. But now they also have one big annual project they are deeply committed to.
“When my wife saw that angel tree somewhere, the lady told her the biggest thing people ask for is jackets because the kids get cold in the winter,” McWilliams says. “We didn’t want to just donate a couple jackets so we did some research and found a place in California that, if you register, you can buy them at a wholesale price. So we buy them by the hundreds.”
This year the couple donated 500 children’s winter jackets. They work with the local school their daughter attends. “The principal gets in contact with all the other schools, they talk to the guidance counselors and get an idea of what sizes they need,” McWilliams explains. “So when we order, we try to order the right amount of sizes for boys and girls.”
After that, it’s easy, he says. “We just buy them and drop them off at the school, and the school takes care of it from there. We wouldn’t have time to do all that but the school has the manpower and resources to manage it. So, it’s a win-win for everybody.”
After the school takes what they need, they pass the jackets along to the next school, and so on. “I’ve gotten thank you letters from six or seven different schools,” McWilliams says. Every year the company increases the number of coats they provide.
McWilliams’ daughter assures him the schools handle the donations tactfully. “It’s awesome,” he says. “They distribute the coats in a very discreet way so no one is embarrassed.”
Read more about Gotta Go Potties in this month’s issue of Portable Restroom Operator magazine.
