Snowstorm snarls coat drive, but still time to give
The snow derailed a lot of plans last week, but it also stymied something else: New York Cares’ 22nd annual coat drive.
“Last week is usually our biggest week, but a huge portion of coats that normally come in did not because of the snowstorm,” said New York Cares Executive Director Gary Bagley. “A lot of our collection sites were hurt by the storm.”
The coat drive usually ends Dec. 31, but this year New York Cares extended it: You have until Jan. 14 if you want to drop off a clean, gently used coat, which will go to men, women and children citywide who can’t afford warm winter jackets.
“It’s not just the homeless,” said Bagley. “Once a teacher on the Lower East Side told us she noticed a certain student was always absent on days it was cold. There are kids who have to be kept home on cold days because they just don’t have a coat warm enough to go outside.
“Think about what your life would be like if you didn’t have a coat. And that happens to tens if not hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers,” he added.
“I’m grateful, really grateful,” said Shane
Golden, 21, as he picked up a donated coat at the Bowery Mission yesterday. “It shows people care.”
To donate
New York Cares aims to raise 70,000 coats this year. As of now, they have 50,000. You can drop off a clean, gently used coat at:
» Boxes in Penn Station or Port Authority until Jan. 14
» Boxes at Grand Central until Jan. 7
» New York Cares warehouse at 250 Hudson St.
» Any Manhattan Mini Storage location
