By Jeff Friedman
Jeff “the Coat Guy” Friedman, founder and director of the Livingston Philanthropies, this week personally reflects on the generosity of Livingston residents as his organization switches its focus from collecting coats to collecting diapers, toiletries, and cosmetics for the homeless.
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Livingston Philanthropies, Livingston’s local, home-grown charity, continues operation through the spring months after completing our seventh coat drive season. The focus is now on hotel- or travel-sized toiletries of all kinds, new cosmetics, and diapers sizes 4, 5, and 6.
Livingston residents, Philanthropies volunteers, and all those who donated, are proof that community volunteerism is alive and effective right here in town.
The proof is in the numbers, which frankly astound me. What started as a small coat drive seven years ago with 300 collected, has generated some 10,333 warm coats and jackets. Estimating a conservative three pounds per piece, that’s 30,999 pounds, or just about 15.5 tons delivered and donated to the poor, homeless, and disenfranchised.
Livingston Philanthropies has evolved into much more than a coat drive in its seven years of existence. Although coats are the only counted items, we’ve also received and delivered thousands of winter accessories, handmade knit items, men’s clothing, diapers, family clothes, toiletries, cosmetics and more. Collection of these items continues at the offices of the West Essex Tribune at 495 South Livingston Avenue, next to ShopRite. Or, for convenient private pick-up, which we gladly offer, readers can e-mail me at jftv1@verizon.net.
How did this abundance happen? Community volunteerism is the clear answer. The volunteering and open hearts of our good friends and partners at Livingston’s West Essex Tribune, who publicize our philanthropic efforts each week in their paper and online; our generous neighbors who dig deep at home; those who do “personal shopping for the homeless;” and our small crew of Livingston volunteers who move the poundage by donating their time, vehicles and ample muscle.
Especially appreciating the “ample muscle” part, our dedicated Livingston Philanthropies volunteers include Neil Greco, Tara Bristow, Candi Samanski, Evelyn DeMaio, Alek DeMaio, Rick Levin, the “Unknown Landscaper” (who prefers to remain anonymous), Will Lombardo, Joyce Friedman, and Karen Friedman.
Also collecting again this year were Jennifer Mortensen and her student volunteer club at Springfield’s Jonathan Dayton High School; Livingston resident Gary Hecht at his Springfield chiropractic office; Livingston’s Temple Beth Shalom; and Ascend Physical Therapy in Montclair. Diverse schools, Scouting groups, churches, and civic organizations also conducted coat drives on ...
