One Warm Coat Day 2023 Awareness Campaign

On Oct. 17, 2023, join national nonprofit One Warm Coat as they kick off coat drive season. One Warm Coat Day brings awareness to the need for warmth and inspires people across the country to make a difference in their local communities.

One Warm Coat’s mission is to provide free coats to children and adults in need while promoting volunteerism and environmental sustainability. Since 1992, they have facilitated 49,000 coat drives across the country, collecting 8 million coats that have been distributed through more than 1,500 nonprofit partners, while keeping more than 19 million pounds of textiles out of landfills.

As winter approaches, they face a growing challenge — the increasing demand for warm coats. The need has never been greater as millions of Americans — 37 million, or 11 percent of the population — struggle to make ends meet, making it difficult to afford even the most basic necessities like coats, food, and shelter. We’re seeing a record rise in poverty, the highest in over 50 years, exacerbated by factors like the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and rising inflation.

The New York Daily News recently reported on the uneven recovery from the pandemic, as more children are going without food, despite many signs of economic resurgence. And where there is a need for food, there is a need for coats.

According to One Warm Coat’s annual survey, 85 percent of their nonprofit agency partners report a year-over-year increase in demand. Today, those agencies are serving 50 to 75 percent more children and adults than they were at the beginning of 2020.

One Warm Coat’s annual awareness campaign highlights the need and provides ways for anyone to get involved in making a tangible difference in their community.

Take action in one of three ways:

• Donate coats to a local coat drive. Find a drive near you by searching your zip code on One Warm Coat’s website. Coats are being collected and coupons/incentives are being offered at the following national retailers: J.Crew, Lands’ End, Duluth Trading Company, and others.

• Donate funds. Every $1 donated warms 1 person, and on Oct. 17 all donations made to One Warm Coat will be matched (up to $31,000 in honor of their 31st coat drive season).

• Host your own coat drive - it’s fun, free, and easy and the coats you collect will be distributed locally in your community.