By Jennifer R Jones | Posted on December 27, 2009 11:30 AM
Almost 90% Of Homeless New Yorkers Need A New Coat Each Winter And Now Is Your Opportunity To Donate To The New York Cares Coat Drive
New York Cares Annual Coat Drive
OK, New York, want to get a head start on your New Year's resolutions? Want to get one made and checked off before end of the year, without having to wait to break it four days later? Of course you do.
New York Cares has been holding a coat drive this month—the organization collects almost 70,000 coats for New Yorkers who otherwise wouldn’t have one. The drive runs until the end of the year, so you still have five days to dig through your closet and find that gently used outer garment that can go to good use.
Locations Accepting Coat Donations
Want proof that your donation is needed? Almost 90 percent of homeless New Yorkers need a new coat each winter, and many families have to make a choice between buying a coat and buying food for their families.
Certain donation sites generally accept coats between 7:30 and 9:30 am, during the morning commute; these drop sites include Grand Central Terminal; New York’s Penn Station; and The New York Port Authority Bus Terminal. Other places accept them any time—New York Police precincts; Janovic Paint and Decorating Centers; and Time Warner Cable stores are on this list. For a complete listing and more information, go to newyorkcares.org
Polar Bear Club Annual New Year's Day Plunge
Finally, if you still need an incentive, the last coats will be collected on January 1 on the Coney Island Boardwalk—while members of the Polar Bear Club take their annual New Year’s Day plunge into the frigid waters of the Atlantic.
More than 800 dippers are expected to take a dip, including three New York Cares staff members.(There's still time to sign up and join them...) Doing good and watching people plunge into icy water--what more could you want?
