As the city’s weather starts to warm up for spring, New York Cares, NYC’s leading volunteer organization, today announced that it collected and distributed a total of 73,111 warm winter coats during its 35th Annual Coat Drive.
The number of gently used coat donations tripled year-over-year, illustrating the impact of more than 1,100 collection sites citywide. With critical support from its community partner organizations and the generosity of corporate and individual donors, New York Cares provided warmth and dignity to some of the city’s most at-risk populations in public schools, housing shelters, community centers, and social service agencies.
“New York Cares received a record number of coat requests from our nonprofit partners this past winter, a representation of the thousands of New Yorkers in-need who are experiencing economic hardships,” said Sapreet K. Saluja, Executive Director of New York Cares. “We are incredibly thankful for the generous donations from individuals and organizations across the five boroughs. Each warm winter coat sends the message that every New Yorker is worthy of warmth, dignity, and community.”
Throughout the season, New Yorkers were able to donate gently used, freshly laundered coats at several public collection sites in each of the five boroughs. Many individuals and organizations also set up in-person coat collections or virtual Coats+ fundraisers, which were shared with other supporters online. Every $25 donation to a Coats+ fundraiser kept 10 New Yorkers warm and also provided essential volunteer programs that help to break the cycle of poverty. The top coat collections from the season included: Bloomberg with over 650 coats, Rudin with nearly 600 coats, Fisher Brothers with over 360 coats and FDNY Battalions with over 300 boxes of coats.
New York Cares has distributed coats to a total of 317 community partners throughout the five boroughs, including: PS 171 in Manhattan, Together We Can in Queens, PS 31X in the Bronx, Brooklyn Defender Services in Brooklyn and A Chance in Life – The Village in Staten Island. In total, over 18,000 coats were distributed to those in need in Brooklyn alone, the largest number of any borough. In Manhattan, agencies received an estimated 14,900 coats, and in the Bronx, agencies received over 14,500 coats. Over 13,800 coats were distributed to agencies in Queens and an estimated 3,600 coats were distributed to agencies in Staten Island.
“New York Cares provided our organization, the Little Shop of Kindness, with over 1000 coats for asylum seekers! We are on the front line of receiving new arrivals to New York City, and nearly all arrive without a winter coat. The ability to put coats on backs was key to our operation and the most needed item of clothing, which we did not have. We were able to take some directly to tent city at Floyd Bennett Field, where the new arrivals were freezing. Without a coat, many may have become seriously ill or worse. Thanks so much to New York Cares for providing a warm coat to those most in need.” said Val Coleman, Assistant Director, Team TLC NYC.
For the first time, WE ❤️ NYC, a campaign run by the Partnership for New York City, and New York area sports leagues and teams came together to support the coat drive with a focus on collecting and distributing warm winter coats to New Yorkers in need.
New York Cares also teamed up with UPS, a global logistics leader, during the 35th annual coat drive, to offer on-the-ground transportation and logistics assistance through a partnership that established a vital connection between donors and recipients. As the exclusive transportation partner, UPS collected coat drive donation boxes from dozens of locations across NYC and transported them to various New York Cares intake facilities.
The 35th Annual New York Cares Coat Drive was made possible by WE ❤️ NYC, Vornado Realty Trust, UPS and Piece of Cake Moving & Storage.
For the last 35 years, New York Cares has enabled hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to perform acts of warmth – small, seemingly simple good deeds that yield a massive impact.
The 35th Annual New York Cares Coat Drive
Since 1989, the New York Cares Coat Drive has collected over two and a half million winter coats for men, women, and children throughout the city. For more information on starting a coat collection, setting up a virtual Coats+ fundraiser, donating a coat and other ways to help keep New Yorkers warm, visit newyorkcares.org/coats.
New York Cares
New York Cares is the largest volunteer network in the city. Last year, nearly 30,000 New Yorkers made the city a better place by volunteering in New York Cares programs at over 400 nonprofits and schools – improving education, meeting immediate needs, and revitalizing public spaces. For more information, visit newyorkcares.org.
Photo credit: NYC Cares.
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