February 1, 2013 | Health and Well-Being

Cold Comfort: Give a Coat, Get a Smile

By Maya Catherine Popa

For anyone shivering through this winter’s unpredictable cold snaps, a warm coat may be your best friend. But for the nearly 15 percent of Americans living in poverty—whose precarious existence is made more so by the century's worst hurricanes and high rates of unemployment—a decent coat isn't always affordable. Factor in that one in five children lives in a household whose earnings fall below the poverty level and you have a winter tragedy on your hands.

Luckily, nonprofits and retailers across the country are holding coat drives and giveaways to make the months until spring a little more bearable.

Donate a coat any time, anywhere

Looking for an upcoming clothing drive near you? One Warm Coat's coat-drive locator will use your zip code to help you find the nearest retailers, organizations, and schools accepting donations in your area. During the summer months, their Agency Locator will help you find an agency accepting off-season donations.

Give a kid a new coat

Operation Warm provides new coats for children across the U.S. Their One Night Without Warmth is a national event held in February to raise awareness and support for the nonprofit’s mission. It holds a contest for the video that most creatively addresses the national awareness event and captures Operation Warm's coat drives for children in need.

Coats in Queens

Live in the New York City area? Check out the coat drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on February 11 at CHN’s Queens Health Center, sponsored by Health Plus.