The Livingston Coat Drive has put out an appeal for an additional 300 coats by New Year's Eve, in order to surpass last year's total collection only halfway through the campaign. According to Livingston resident Jeff ("the Coat Guy") Friedman, founder and coordinator of the Coat Drive, "We will definitely trample last year's record, which was 1,500 coats collected. Already, we are at 1,200 coats – and it's only December!"
He continued, "we're hoping to hit the 1,500 mark by New Year's. Our generous residents can make this happen. It’s just so easy to donate through our drop-off locations or with our private, home pick-up service." He emphasized that, "There is always a need for warm coats. Please don't ever think we don't need your unwanted coats; there is always someone who can use them."
Local residents have answered the call in force, Friedman noted. "Just since the publication of last week's article in the Tribune, 336 coats, along with multiple bags of accessories, have been donated and delivered to our distribution partners."
Three of Friedman's distribution partners – the North Reformed Church and Willing Hearts Community Care Center, both in Newark, and Trinity Covenant Church in Livingston – were the recipients of coats during the past week. "Both North Reformed and Willing Hearts have extensive soup kitchen operations to feed hundreds of needy each week," Friedman explained. "They are perfect matches for the mission of the Livingston Coat Drive, which is 'providing warmth to the poor, homeless and disenfranchised.' Trinity Covenant distributed the collected garments to migrant workers who have never previously had the need for warm coats.
The Coat Guy has had plenty of help in the endeavor. "Piles of coats and accessories for the drive have been collected by Adam and Wendy Slavitt of Livingston at their Village Laundry Center store in Montclair," he said. "Lots of donations, too, have come in from West Orange Jewelers, now located in Roseland. We've also had a lot of help from Roni Weiner’s pre-school class at the JCC in West Orange, and the Saint Philomena Coat Drive here in town. And, of course, literally hundreds have been donated by Livingston residents with the steadfast cooperation of the West Essex Tribune, which is again serving as a collection point for the Coat Drive."
Friedman and his sister-in-law, Joyce Friedman of Montclair, who has joined the Coat guy's volunteer Dream Team this year, made the pick-up from ...
