Livingston Coat Drive volunteers were busy this past week, delivering coats and accessories in time for both the Saturday and Monday-Tuesday snow storms.
Founder Jeff "The Coat Guy" Friedman and Coat Drive "Dream Team" volunteer Candi Samansky delivered 84 men’s and women’s coats, along with bags of accessories, to Integrity House in Newark, just prior to the first and much smaller snow storm. "Generous Livingston residents, along with customers of Village Laundry Center in Montclair and West Orange Jewelers in Roseland, stepped up to assist teens and young adults who are currently being helped though Integrity House’s addiction and related education programs," Friedman explains.
The Coat Guy and his sister-in-law, Joyce Friedman, then delivered 152 assorted winter coats, along with scarves, gloves and hats to Saint Paul Life Center Unified Free Will Baptist Church in Newark. "The coats and accessories were gracefully accepted by church leaders, the Reverend Eartha Yarrell, Elder Darryl Roberts, Pastor Hilton Rawls Jr., and Elder Keith Yarrell," noted the Coat Guy. "The Saint Paul Life Center is an outreach ministry located near Route 78 and Newark Airport. Leaders received the coats on Friday afternoon, and then hit the streets of Newark in their van on Friday evening to distribute to those in need, along with food and hot coffee."
Jeff Friedman noted that "special thanks go to Elaine Gebroe and the knitting group from the NCJW (National Council of Jewish Women) for knitting scarves for the Livingston Coat Drive distribution partners. They are beautiful and much appreciated, especially during this week’s weather!"
In addition, he sent out thanks to the coordinators and donors of the Mt. Pleasant Elementary School coat drive, which collected several bags worth of coats for the Livingston Coat Drive.
"And, as always, I'd like to, once again, publicly thank our philanthropic donor residents and our tireless coat drive volunteers – Candi Samansky, Joyce Friedman, Bob Gebroe, Adam Slavitt, Wendy Slavitt, Adam Slavitt, Village Laundry Center – and our media partner, the West Essex Tribune!" the Coat Guy added. "We've now hit the 1,800 mark, and still going strong. We have already surpassed last year's total of 1,500 coats collected, and we still have a month to go. How great is that?!"
In conclusion, he said, "Just look at this week’s storm and freezing weather. Can you imagine not owning even a coat and a pair of gloves? Frankly, we need to move some of our excess to those ...
