There’s an easy way to make a difference this winter take that new or gently used winter coat and donate it to Jersey Cares for its 18th Annual Coat Drive
There’s an easy way to make a difference this winter — take that new or gently used winter coat and donate it to Jersey Cares for its 18th Annual Coat Drive.
From now through Feb. 7, Jersey Cares plans to collect and distribute more than 60,000 “gently used” winter coats to men, women and children in need throughout New Jersey, according to a press release.
This year, the Jersey Cares Coat Drive is proud to partner with The 2014 NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee, Wal-Mart and New York Cares to create The Super Community Coat Drive, the largest Coat Drive ever held in the tri-state area — and likely the largest coat drive in history.
In Mercer County, there are two places where you are able to donate coats throughout the Jersey Cares Coat Drive:* Grounds For Sculpture, 18 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton. Coats accepted Tue. through Sun., 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information, call 609-586-0616, ext. 247.
* Phoenix Keystone, 220 Dickinson Street, Trenton. Coats accepted Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. For more information, call 609-392-3191.
Over the past seventeen years, Jersey Cares has collected, sorted and distributed more than 400,000 coats to New Jersey.
The drive operates by inviting companies, churches, fire departments, police stations, schools and other organizations to set up sites across the state to collect coats.
Coats are then delivered by collection site representatives to the nearest container site.
Volunteers then sort the donated coats at the container site and bag them for pick-up, after which nonprofit organizations pick up their coats and distribute them to people in need.
In addition to donating a coat to a drop off center, there are other ways to participate in the 2013 Jersey Cares Coat Drive, including forming a collection site.
By forming a collection site, according to the release, participants can offer their neighbors and community members a convenient location to donate their coats and ensure that more coats make it to those in need.
Those interested can establish a private or public collection site during the whole coat drive or for a shorter period of time, as little as just one day.
After receiving your collection site form, Jersey Cares will send you a collection site lit that includes posters, site instructions, sorting instructions and directions to your nearest drop off location. Note that all collection sites are required to deliver their coats directly to their local container site – individual pickups can not be arranged due to the size of this program.
In addition, other ways to participate include:* Sorting coats: volunteer-sorting projects will be held from November through February. Contact the Jersey Cares office to schedule your sorting date.
* Special events: Jersey Cares will invite coat drop off at events such as New Jersey Devils hockey games and select Rutgers University and Seton Hall University basketball games throughout the duration of the drive. Information is available on the Jersey Cares website, www.jerseycares.org.
* Make a financial contribution or become a coat drive sponsor: the coat drive is an enormous undertaking and requires financial support to create its tremendous impact. Sponsors receive multiple benefits. Contact Sherry Lynn Fazio at Jersey Cares, if you are interested in becoming a sponsor, at 973-424-1091 or [email protected].
* Receiving coats (for 501(c)(3) nonprofit agencies only): If you are a nonprofit agency or school, you can request gently used, warm winter coats for your clientele or students. Contact the Jersey Cares office at 973)-424-1091 or [email protected] for more information.
Jersey Cares is a dynamic nonprofit organization that meets community needs by making volunteering in New Jersey easy and meaningful. Jersey Cares works directly with local nonprofit organizations and schools, identifying their needs and training volunteer leaders to manage projects that address them.
Jersey Cares volunteers have provided thousands of hours of service to communities, including: mentoring troubled teens, reaching out to isolated seniors, working with the mentally and physically challenged, restoring the environment and assisting children with their schoolwork.
Jersey Cares offers meaningful volunteer opportunities that showcase the rewards of civic engagement and address some of our communities’ most serious needs.
For more information, please visit www.jerseycares.org.