How to Organize a Coat Drive
With temperatures dropping rapidly in the northeast, our thoughts automatically move towards those who will be left out in the cold this winter. That is why we have organized a coat drive just in time for the holiday season! The idea came directly from our conscientious luggers, who are out in the elements all winter lugging items from homes and offices all over the northeast and couldn’t imagine being out in the elements without a coat to keep them toasty. So we decided to collect gently used winter coats and give back to the communities we love so much.
We thought we’d share with you the steps to running a successful coat drive so you can spread the warmth this season in your own community. The first step towards executing any great idea without a hitch is planning. Whether you are a school, church, individual or business, here are our steps for organizing a successful coat drive:
- Select the dates you will be running your drive (could be all year like us, a few weeks or even just one day!)
- Determine how you will be rounding up the coats. This year we’ve jump-started our collection efforts by offering free pickup of coats from our customers along with any junk removal job since this summer. We realize that you probably won’t have a fleet of bright green trucks at your disposal, so reach out to your local community to ask about adding collection boxes to high trafficked areas like the library, schools, a super market, or other local businesses.
- Decide who you’d like to partner with. If you are going to be collecting coats, you need to find a useful place to drop them off! Reach out to churches, missions or homeless shelters to see if they know of any individuals or families who would benefit from a warm winter jacket.
- Promote, Promote, PROMOTE! There are many free or low-cost ways to promote your drive. Start by posting to social media to get the word out to friends and family, encouraging them to spread the word. For a small investment, you can design and print fliers to post around the neighborhood and on community bulletin boards. Also reach out to local press with details about your timeline and donation drop-off locations to keep the community informed.
- Collect and deliver the coats. Since you followed step 2 and know how you’re gathering the coats all you have to do is gather them and deliver them! Whether you are doing this on your own or you’ve paired with someone the goal is to get those coats to the people who need them. Start with weekly pickups to gauge interest and set a pickup schedule from there.
We are ramping up our coat-collection effort in Fairfield County this fall by continuing to offer FREE coat pickup to our customers from now until December 22nd. By pairing with The Norwalk Police Department we are ensuring that the coats we collect are distributed directly to those in need. If anyone is interested in donating gently used coats or jackets but you don’t need your junk lugged, our Norwalk office located at 363 Main Ave, Norwalk, CT 06851 is also open as a drop-off location!
Are you ready to do some good in the world? Start a coat drive of your own and start spreading the warmth to your community this winter!