Last Thursday, the Youth Service Club from Richard R Green High School for Teaching in Manhattan had a once in a lifetime opportunity – they were honored on the field before a Mets game! As the winners of the second annual Youth Service Club Coat Drive Contest, these students were thanked for collecting the most coats out of the participating Youth Service Clubs.

Richard R Green volunteers also visited New York Cares’ Coat Drive warehouse in December to help sort through all the donations, so their experience at the Mets game was a celebration of their deep investment in this year’s Coat Drive. 

We want to thank the Mets for this amazing opportunity. Over half the students had never been to a professional baseball game before, so the day was really special! Visiting Citi Field is a quintessential New York experience, and it was the perfect reward for students giving back to NYC.

By Allison Sterrett

This year’s record-breaking Coat Drive was a success thanks not only to the generosity of individual New Yorkers, but also because of retailers and manufacturers that dug into their inventories to help keep our city warm. In total, we received more than 10,500 coats, valued at nearly $320,000, from companies who made bulk donations. Some of the largest contributors included G-III Apparel, Ralph Lauren, Columbia Sportswear, The Fur Vault at Macy’s, KingSize/Redcats, and Nordstrom.

Many businesses also ran special promotions to aid the coat collection effort, offering free movie and sports tickets, discounts, and giveaways to encourage donations. Dozens more donated proceeds from events and sales to help support the Coat Drive. Special thanks to these companies, including: Rothman’s, Paragon Sports and Marmot, New York Mets, The New York Chocolate Show, Catherine Malandrino, John Varvatos, 107.5 WBLS-FM and many, many more. 

Did you come across any creative coat collections? Let us know how you helped make this year’s Coat Drive the biggest ever in the comments! 

By Joshua Winata

Pictured: Deanna Williams of Macy’s Public Relations, Steven Lanzillotta of The Fur Vault at Macy’s, and Diane Conroy at the Coat Drive Warehouse.

The Coat Drive is such a huge undertaking every year that starting in November we barely see our Seasonal Events staff because they spend all their time in the warehouse, and we have to hire additional help. This year was no different, and was in fact, our busiest ever. Lauren Glattly stepped up to fill one of our seasonal positions in the warehouse, and wrote about her experience below. 

It was a record-breaking year for the 24th Annual New York Cares Coat Drive, and all of us here at the Coat Drive warehouse would like to send a tremendous “thank you” to everyone who donated a coat, as well as the many volunteers who donated their time and helped us sort the donations. 

Starting the very first day of the Coat Drive, in rapid response to Hurricane Sandy, coats poured in from all over New York and the rest of the rest of the country to banish the cold from New York this winter. Out of the estimated 100,000 coats we’ve received and sorted so far, 70,830 coats have already gone out to 282 agencies, and 87 more agencies will pick up coats in the following weeks.

We’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity from friends and strangers, neighbors nearby and some as far as Hawaii. We were touched by the interest and enthusiasm of all who came in person to donate coats, including many classes of school children. One very precocious third-grader, who, after asking many pertinent questions about our sorting and distribution process, concluded simply, “You guys are doing a good, good thing here.”

In person, in post, in trunks, and in trucks, they came. Coats of every shape and color — big coats, small coats, fuzzy coats, sleek coats, huge boxes of brand new coats, and even hot pink leopard print coats. Many were sent along with loving messages of warmth, hope, and healing, like the one pictured left. We only wish that all who received a coat could also have seen these many notes of kindness and care, and that those who donated could hear the words of gratitude expressed by those in need.

Although we hope that New York never experiences another storm like Hurricane Sandy, it was truly awe-inspiring to see people pull together in the face of disaster as New Yorkers, as Americans, and as human beings, to help one another. Thank you again for making the 2012 Coat Drive our most successful ever.

By Lauren Glattly       

Ladies and Gentlemen, do not be alarmed but the world as you know it is at risk.

Each winter, in the nation’s busiest train station, sandwiched between six subway services, underneath the world’s premier arena, and across the street from the city’s foremost department store sits one of the New York Cares Coat Drive’s busiest collection sites. 

The Coat Drive at Penn Station is a true New York City commuter institution. Thanks to the generosity from the riders of the myriad of trains that arrive at Penn Station each morning, thousands of New Yorkers have done their part to keep their fellow New Yorkers warm.

But, like I said, the world as we know it is at risk, for this year a new stadium has risen across the river. With its celebrity owner inside, throngs of hipsters outside, and its nine-subway mega station below, the Brooklyn behemoth has been giving 34th Street a run for its money. And what’s more, for the first time ever, a coat collection site has been added to the Atlantic Av – Barclays Ctr.

I usually follow the mantra that the more coat collections sites the better. However, this year, my colleague Kim has put forth a challenge: that she can collect more coats at Atlantic Av than I can at Penn Station. 

With a little over one week left in the New York Cares Coat Drive, I ask you to please help right this wrong. It is above Penn Station where the city’s winningest sports teams play; it is next to Penn Station where the city’s most avid shoppers shop; and it is in Penn Station where the city’s busiest coat collection site should remain. 

You can donate a coat at Penn Station, weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on the LIRR concourse.

By Joseph Salas

Baseball fans, volunteers, and Coat Drive supporters descended upon Citi Field yesterday to attend the 6th Annual Mets Warm-up Coat Drive. Everyone who donated a coat received a ticket voucher for a game in 2013, and the knowledge that their coat will help a New Yorker in need this winter.

Our volunteers collected the coats all day, and they added up quickly:

Later, first baseman Ike Davis and mascot Mr. Met stopped by to help load up the truck with donations and pose with fans.

Later, a group of high schoolers from Queens and Connecticut came bearing bags upon bags of coat donations. They were really excited to get a picture with Mr. Met before bringing in their coats.

A huge thank you to the New York Mets, Ike Davis, Mr. Met, and everyone who donated at yesterday’s drive. We collected an amazing 1,500 coats! If you still have coats to donate, you can find a drop-off location here.

By Susan Torres

Being a hero means different things to different people. To us, it means someone who gives back in their community, and asking nothing in return. That’s why Bruce Rector is our “Everyday Hero.” He’s been working on Hurricane Sandy response projects for the past two and a half weeks. How much has he accomplished? He’s already put in an amazing 125 hours on distribution and muck-out projects. Whether he’s working as a volunteer or Team Leader, the work he’s doing is making a huge difference to victims of the storm.

Last night he was honored for all his tireless work at Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark at the Foxwoods Theater. We were so happy we got this opportunity to acknowledge Bruce since he’s worked on Sandy relief projects almost every day.

Additionally, if you see Spider-Man on Broadway now through December 31st, you can be an Everyday Hero yourself by donating a coat. Help us get closer to our goal of 200,000 coats by donating at the Foxwoods Theater or any other public collection site around the city.

By Susan Torres

Every year, organizing the Coat Drive is a huge undertaking for our Service Events team. This year because of the increased need resulting from Hurricane Sandy, they had one day to launch the drive a week early. This meant finding storage space for donations, staff and volunteers to man the storage space, and working with agencies to get coats and other donations out the door to people who needed them. It was quite the busy few days. Below, one of our volunteers tells about how he helped make it happen.

New York Cares was all ready to start the annual Coat Drive on November 15th. But Superstorm Sandy changed all that.

The need was there just for clothing to put on to the backs of New Yorkers who had lost everything. So when I got a call from Diane Conroy asking innocently if I was doing anything that day, I knew something was afoot.

“How about going to the Coat Warehouse and setting things up so that we can start sorting clothes?” she asked. “Sure, when?” I said. “As soon as possible. In fact how about now, as we have volunteers coming in three hours to sort, but they will need some guidance…”

Read the rest of this entry »

Our goal this year is to collect 200,000 coats. That’s a pretty daunting number, but we’re positive we can get there with your help. Do you want to support the drive, but aren’t sure where to start? Here are a number of ways to get started:

• Drop off your coat at any of these locations. Our map feature lets you search for the location that’s most convenient to you.
• Make a financial donation. Due to Hurricane Sandy, many of the communities that are in the most urgent need of winter coats are also the most difficult to reach because of transportation issues and power outages. Your monetary donation will help us distribute coats to these hard-to-reach areas.
• Attend an event supporting New York Cares. Many local shops and vendors are hosting special promotional events where a portion of proceeds will be donated to the drive. Many events will also be collecting coats.
• Host your own collection site. Please note: you do not need to be an oriented volunteer to host your own site.

I started collecting coats. Now what?

• Tell your friends on social media:
• Start a Coat Drive event on Facebook. You can tell everyone when you’ll be collecting, and why they should donate a coat.
• Tweet about your efforts using #CoatDrive12. Let us know what you’re doing to support the drive, and see what other people have been doing. And make sure you follow the @newyorkcares account to stay up to date on the latest news.
• Submit a blog story so we can spread the word about the importance of the Coat Drive. Personal stories are great ways to highlight the need this year.

Now get started! We can’t do it without you!

By Susan Torres

After Hurricane Sandy left the tri-state area in a state of devastation, the temperature quickly dropped. Many New Yorkers were left homeless and without any of their belongings. It quickly became clear that we couldn’t afford to wait to launch the Coat Drive on it’s original date. So we launched the Coat Drive a week early and have already started getting coats to the people who need them most.

Volunteers and staff boarded a bus this morning heading to the Far Rockaway Library to distribute 3,000 coats. The need quickly became apparent when hundreds of people lined up outside the building. We’d like to send a big thank you to the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and the Queens Library systems who agreed to collect coats, and did so on very short notice. We’ve already collected thousands of coats in just over a week, and we couldn’t have done it without their support.

We hope to collect 200,000 coats this year. Seeing hundreds of people turn out to our event this morning made it all the more apparent how much we need your help this year. Here are list of locations you can drop your coat off right now:

The New York Cares Warehouse

All New York City Police Precincts

New York Public Libraries

Brooklyn Public Libraries

Queens Libraries

Citi Pond at Bryant Park

Starting on Thursday, you’ll also be able to drop off your donations at terminal hubs including Penn Station, Grand Central Station, Jamaica Center, and Barclays Terminal. Financial donations also go a long way in helping us get more coats to the people who need them now. Help us reach our goal of 200,000 coats – donate today!

By Susan Torres

PRESS RELEASE:

VETERANS DAY PARADE NOVEMBER 11 WILL BE A RALLY FOR STORM VICTIMS, COLLECTING COATS FOR NEW YORK CARES

Parade Viewers Should Bring Warm Winter Coats to Donate Along the Parade Route

Annual New York Cares Coat Drive Starts Early Due to Unprecedented Storm

New York, NY, November 8 – New York City’s Veterans Day Parade, November 11, will be a rally for the victims of Hurricane Sandy as participants in the parade collect coats for the annual New York Cares Coat Drive from spectators along the line of march, the United War Veterans Council (UWVC) and New York Cares announced today.

The UWVC and New York Cares urged New Yorkers and visitors to the city to attend the parade Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Fifth Avenue from 26^th to 56^th Streets, to honor veterans who serve our country, including members of the National Guard, who have been critical in Hurricane Sandy relief and recovery efforts.

They also urged parade viewers to bring coats for the New York Cares Coat Drive, which will be collected by marchers along the parade route and deposited in trucks in the parade.

New York Cares’ annual Coat Drive will launch today, earlier than ever, in order to expedite aiding those affected by Hurricane Sandy and all New Yorkers in need.  New York Cares hopes to collect a record 200,000 coats this season to meet the unprecedented need for coats.  Given the urgent need, New York Cares hopes to collect 50,000 coats by next week. Read the rest of this entry »