With northern New Jersey firmly in the grip of winter, Jeff Friedman, founder and coordinator of the Livingston Coat Drive, has issued a challenge to his fellow Livingston residents: to help the Drive reach 2,000 coats by the end of February. “With about 1,630 delivered so far, another 370 are needed to make the season's goal,” said Friedman. “I’m confident that our generous Livingston friends and neighbors will continue to step up over the next few weeks. Two thousand will topple last year’s record of 1,500, which we’ve already recently beaten.”
Friedman, who is affectionately known as the “Coat Guy,” has announced that a special call for men’s and women’s coats has been put out by one of the Coat Drive’s new distribution partners, Integrity House in Newark. “Integrity House is committed to helping individuals and families struggling with addiction,” explained the Coat Guy. Integrity reached out to Friedman thanks to Livingston resident Michele Campisi, whose cousin, Anthony Campisi, is the director of education at the agency. “This is a really wonderful organization that does some very worthwhile work,” said the Coat Guy. “We’re happy to help them out in any way we can.”
The Livingston Coat Drive, Friedman continued, “fulfilled another vital community need last week through the generosity of multi-year donor, longtime Livingston resident and senior citizen, Florence Radowitz. Last season, Mrs. Radowitz generously donated coats and accessories to the drive. Recently, she called with a closet full of suits and ties, which were immediately picked up and delivered to one of our new distribution partners, Bethany Baptist Church in Newark.” Bethany Baptist, he explained, “has several programs that serve the needs of the church’s congregation and the community-at-large … that provide food and clothing on a monthly basis.”
For her part, the Coat Guy reported, “Mrs. Radowitz is pleased to be a good friend of the Livingston Coat Drive and told me she is just happy that these coats and suits are going to those who need them the most.”
Village Laundry Center in Upper Montclair, owned by Livingston residents Wendy and Adam Slavitt, continues to make a difference as well, added Friedman. Coat Drive volunteer and retired high school teacher Joyce Friedman recently picked up a huge bin of coats and accessories collected by the Slavitts.
Meanwhile, noted the Coat Guy, “new distribution partners are contacting us all the time. In fact, we are now working with several additional organizations with ...
