28th Annual New York Cares Coat Drive Kicks off through December 31st

NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRST DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BENJAMIN TUCKER, NBA LEGEND RON HARPER, AND WNBA LEGEND KYM HAMPTON KICKOFF THE 28^TH ANNUAL NEW YORK CARES COAT DRIVE

Record Requests for Coats Exceed 125,000 this Winter; Donations Can be Made by Text

   New York Police Department First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin B. Tucker, NBA legend Ron Harper, and WNBA legend Kym Hampton joined New York Cares today at The Bowery Mission on the Lower East Side to launch the 28^th Annual New York Cares Coat Drive.

This year, New York Cares is hoping to collect and distribute 125,000 coats, which represents a record number of requests from its nonprofit and school partners but is estimated to be only a fraction of the total need for coats that exists throughout the city. In order to meet this growing need, and to get coats to New Yorkers sooner, New York Cares has created the initiative where individuals can text the word “COAT” to 41444 to donate $20, or in increments of $20, to purchase and deliver new coats. All donations are tax deductible.

From today through December 31, 2016, individuals can also donate gently used, freshly laundered coats at hundreds of locations throughout the five boroughs including all NYC Police Precincts, Queens Library branches, and major transit hubs. For a full list of drop-off sites and other ways to keep New Yorkers warm, visit newyorkcares.org/coats. 

Joined by Commissioner Tucker, NBA legend Ron Harper, and WNBA legend Kym Hampton, New York Cares distributed coats to 50 homeless residents of The Bowery Mission.

“The New York City Police Department is honored to again collaborate with New York Cares for their 28^thAnnual Coat Drive. New Yorkers can drop off coats at every precinct, transit district and police service area across the City, day or night,” said First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker. “The need for coats this year has grown, and we’re asking generous New Yorkers to please think of their neighbors and donate a coat. We know we can make this another plentiful season of giving.”

“Homelessness has reached a record high, with approximately 60,000 New Yorkers spending each night in the shelter system,” said New York Cares Executive Director Gary Bagley. “In addition, 1.7 million residents live below the poverty line. The need in our city is simply enormous, and we’re calling on all New Yorkers to give the gift of warmth this holiday season. The Coat Drive is an opportunity to show each and every one of our neighbors that they are cared for and that we recognize the struggles they are going through.”

“As temperatures begin to drop, we know this will be another tough winter for New York’s neediest, and thousands will turn to The Bowery Mission for help.  It will take the support of generous New Yorkers and community partners like New York Cares to meet the need,” said David P. Jones, President and CEO of The Bowery Mission. “On behalf of those we serve, The Bowery Mission is thankful to New York Cares and proud to host the launch of this 28^th Annual Coat Drive.”

New York Cares’ iconic ‘Shivering Statue of Liberty’ Coat Drive PSA, including information about texting donations, will air on the TOSHIBA VISION screens located at the top of One Times Square to raise awareness of the Coat Drive from Friday, November 18^th to Friday, December 30^th. The PSA will also appear on billboards and online thanks to efforts by media partners Mindshare, Xaxis, Group M, Kinetic Worldwide, and Straus News, and will air on NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47.

About The 28^th Annual New York Cares Coat Drive

The New York Cares Coat Drive is one of the largest of its kind in the United States. Since 1989, New York Cares has collected and distributed more than 1.8 million coats.

The thousands of donated coats will be counted, sorted and distributed to organizations serving the homeless and other low-income New Yorkers, at an 8,600 square foot temporary warehouse space located at 157 West 31st Street in Midtown Manhattan. 

The sponsors for this year’s New York Cares Coat Drive are the New York City Police Department, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Neuberger Berman, Bank of America, Vornado Realty Trust, Toshiba, KKR, Mindshare, NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47.

New Yorkers can make financial donations in support of the Coat Drive and New York Cares’ year-round work online, by text or by mail.  For more information about the New York Cares Coat Drive, locations, news, or to make a financial donation, the public can visit newyorkcares.org/coats

How to Donate Coats

New Yorkers can text the word “COAT” to 41444 to donate $20, or in increments of $20, to purchase and deliver new coats. All donations are tax deductible. New Yorkers can also donate gently-used, freshly laundered coats at almost 300 public sites around the city, as well as hundreds of private sites hosted by corporations and civic groups. 

New Yorkers may donate coats at the following locations through Saturday, December 31, 2016. Please visitnewyorkcares.org for exact times and locations, and additional collection sites.

·         Every New York City Police Precinct (24 hours a day)

·         Every library branch in the Queens Public Library system (during open hours)

·         The New York Cares Warehouse, 157 West 31st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues (9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday)

·         New York Cares office, 65 Broadway (weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

·         New York Penn Station - LIRR concourse (weekdays, 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.)

·         Grand Central Terminal - Track 16/Graybar Passage (weekdays, 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.)

·         Any participating member of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association

·         And many more sites citywide.