Staten Islanders For Autumn Cleanup: NYC Cares Kicks Off Annual Coat Drive – Your Gently Used Coats Can Help A Neighbor Stay Warm
Editor’s note: Last year, during National Volunteer Week during the summer, Staten Islanders distributed food for local families at Project Hospitality. See below for video from the event at P.S.161 in Harlem:
Questions asked of the organization about this year’s event:
Answers:
The number of coats New York Cares is able to distribute is tied to the number of coats collected through the drive.
For coat distributions, New York City residents in need of a coat can visit one of the open distribution locations. You can find more resources about the coat drive here.
New York Cares kicked off its 38th annual Coat Drive on October 20 from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM at P.S. 161 M in Harlem, distributing hundreds of winter coats to elementary school students as part of a citywide effort to keep tens of thousands of New Yorkers warm this winter.
NEW YORK CARES LAUNCHES 38TH ANNUAL COAT DRIVE TO HELP NEW YORKERS KEEP WARM THIS WINTER
With more than 100,000 coat requests each year, New York Cares calls on individuals, businesses and community partners to donate coats
New York, NY – New York Cares, the largest volunteer network in New York City, launched its 38th annual Coat Drive calling on New Yorkers to help provide tens of thousands of warm winter coats to neighbors across the five boroughs. In addition, through its accompanying Coats+ fundraiser, supporters can also fund coat distribution and year-round volunteer programs that help address poverty.
New York Cares receives over 100,000 requests for coats annually, with demand consistently outpacing supply. Last year, New York Cares set up over 750 collection sites, collected and distributed more than 52,000 coats, and served more than 200 schools and nonprofit organizations. As New Yorkers face the strain of everyday expenses amid the ongoing affordability crisis, donating a coat offers a simple, tangible way to help a neighbor this winter.
“A warm coat is more than something to wear on a cold day. It can help someone feel warm, confident, and cared for,” said Sapreet K. Saluja, Executive Director of New York Cares. “For nearly four decades, the Coat Drive has brought New Yorkers together to make sure their neighbors have what they need to get through the winter. Every coat donated is a simple act of care, and together, those acts can make a tremendous difference across our city.”
This year’s annual coat drive began with a coat distribution event on Tuesday, October 20th at P.S. 161 Pedro Albizu Campos, 499 W. 133rd Street in Manhattan, where New York Cares volunteers helped to distribute hundreds of winter coats to elementary school students.
Founded in 1989 as the city’s first centralized initiative to collect and distribute warm winter coats across the five boroughs, New York Care’s Coat Drive has helped more than 2.5 million New Yorkers find warmth.
The NYC Sports Coalition will help mobilize fans and employees through coat collections and promotion at games, in offices and across digital and social channels. NYC Sports Coalition includes the major leagues and New York region teams: Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League, National Women’s Soccer League, Women’s National Basketball Association; Brooklyn Nets, NJ/NY Gotham FC, New York City FC, New York Sirens, Staten Island FerryHawks New York Giants, New York Islanders, New York Jets, New York Knicks, New York Liberty, New York Mets, New York Rangers, New York Red Bulls, and the New York Yankees.
As the Coat Drive’s Official Box Provider for the New York Cares Coat Drive, Piece of Cake Moving & Storage will donate more than 5,000 boxes to help collect coats around the city. The returning partner will also help transport thousands of donated coats in their pink trucks co-branded with New York Cares.
The 2026 New York Cares Coat Drive is also supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Macy’s, Vornado, Sidley Austin, Amazin’ Mets Foundation, Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (GNYADA), and FDNY.
How To Help
Organize a Collection Site or Fundraiser: Individuals, businesses and community groups can register a coat collection or launch a virtual Coats+ fundraiser at newyorkcares.org/coats. Every $25 donation helps keep 10 New Yorkers warm and supports essential volunteer programs that help break the cycle of poverty. All donations are tax-deductible.
Donate a Coat: New Yorkers can donate gently used, freshly laundered coats at several public collection sites in each of the five boroughs, including participating FDNY Battalions and select dealerships across New York in partnership with Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (GNYADA). Visit the New York Cares Coat Drive map for locations, dates, and hours of operation.
Coat Drive Recipients. Image Credit – New York Cares
Coat Drive Recipients. Image Credit – New York Cares
Below is the pre-event announcement with additional details about the distribution at P.S. 161 in Harlem, where the Mets baseball characters also were in attendance:
NEW YORK CARES TO KICK OFF 38TH ANNUAL COAT DRIVE, DISTRIBUTING HUNDREDS OF COATS TO STUDENTS AT P.S. 161 IN HARLEM
With more than 100,000 coat requests each year, New York Cares calls on individuals, businesses and community partners to donate coats
New York Cares, the city’s largest volunteer network, will kick off its 38th annual Coat Drive with the distribution of hundreds of warm winter coats to elementary school students on Tuesday, October 20th from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM at P.S. 161 Pedro Albizu Campos, 499 W. 133rd Street in Harlem.
The event will include students selecting and trying on coats with assistance from New York Cares volunteers, fun winter themed activities, a DJ and appearances from the FDNY mascot and Mr. and Mrs. Met. Students will also be provided with preparedness kits, courtesy of Sesame Workshop.
These are just the first of tens of thousands of coats New York Cares plans to provide to New Yorkers in the coming months through donations to collection sites and fundraising through the Coats+ campaign. New Yorkers can donate gently used, freshly laundered coats at several public collection sites in each of the five boroughs, set up a coat collection site or donate to the Coats+ fundraiser.
Founded in 1989 as the city’s first centralized initiative to collect and distribute warm winter coats across the five boroughs, New York Care’s Coat Drive has helped more than 2.5 million New Yorkers find warmth. Last year, New York Cares set up over 750 collection sites, collected and distributed more than 52,000 coats, and served more than 200 schools and nonprofit organizations. As New Yorkers face the strain of everyday expenses amid the ongoing affordability crisis, donating a coat offers a simple, tangible way to help a neighbor this winter.
Coat Drive Recipients. Image Credit – New York Cares
Coat Drive Recipients. Image Credit – New York Cares
Coat Drive Recipients. Image Credit – New York Cares
About New York Cares
New York Cares is the city’s largest volunteer network. This past year, over 71,000 New Yorkers made their city more resilient by volunteering in New York Cares programs at over 360 nonprofits and schools across all five boroughs– improving education, meeting immediate needs, and revitalizing public spaces. For more information, visit newyorkcares.org.
About the 38th 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, and other ways to help keep New Yorkers warm, visit newyorkcares.org/coat-drive.
Banner Image: Coat Drive Recipients. Image Credit – New York Cares
New York Cares
It began with a few caring New Yorkers. In 1987, a group of friends who wanted to volunteer found themselves frustrated by the fractured nonprofit landscape, making volunteer opportunities hard to find. They wanted a centralized way to organize efforts and access communities. And New York Cares was born. revitalization Since then, we’ve become the largest organization of our kind—making it possible to amplify individual efforts and scale partnerships that serve communities in every borough.
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