Proud to Be From Pittsburgh

Proud to be from Pittsburgh: Chartiers-Houston student helps people stay warm

As temperatures drop, a junior at Chartiers-Houston High School began a project to make sure struggling families stay warm. Cameron Walas wasn't sure if she would be able to fill a single box with donated coats, but in the first day of the coat drive, there were four overflowing boxes.

Walas' project was not part of any school project, and she did not get any school credit for her work. She said she simply saw people in need and wanted to help.

"People just outside without coats, homeless people, people in homeless shelters. I know they can't afford coats, and there's lots of kids in elementary school that don't have winter coats, because their parents can't afford it," said Walas.

While Walas expected some coats to be donated by her friends, she was shocked when strangers began contacting her and coming to the school to drop off coats.

"That just makes me so happy. I feel like I'm actually doing something to help my community, beause I know a lot of times, at my age, you feel like you really can't do anything to help people, but you really can. And I'm just doing what I can do," said Walas.