NEW YORK, Jan. 7, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park opened a 24-hour coat collection site for the New York Cares Coat Drive to help the organization answer more than 107,000 requests for warm winter coats. As of Friday, New York Cares had only received 29,000 coats on the 25th anniversary of its drive, which, this year, is also the Super Community Coat Drive, a partnership with the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee and Jersey Cares to promote the entire region's generosity and goodwill in preparation for Super Bowl XLVIII.
From now through February 7, 2014, the Friday after the Super Bowl, individuals can donate gently used, freshly laundered coats at Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park 24 hours a day. The drop-off bin is located at the exit doors outside of the skating rink pavilion. Other drop-off locations throughout the five boroughs include all NYPD Police Precincts, Lakeside at Prospect Park, St. Johns University, various Pinkberry stores, the New York Cares warehouse in Midtown, and many others.
The first donation received at the new collection site is 100 new coats donated by Bank of America.
"Winter weather is upon us in full force, and we want to help ensure that New Yorkers are protected from the elements," said Jeff Baker, Bank of America New York City Market President. "The need for coats this year is incredibly urgent, and we hope that all visitors to the Winter Village can help New York Cares fulfill their mission."
"We are very grateful to Bank of America and all partners who've extended their collections this year," said Gary Bagley, Executive Director of New York Cares. "Having a drop-off site in a busy and central location like Bryant Park will help close the gap, because the need is real. People will miss work, children will miss school, seniors will skip trips to the doctor, all because they don't have a coat to keep them warm."
Where to Donate Coats
New Yorkers can donate coats at the following locations through Friday, February 7, 2014. Please visit http://www.newyorkcares.org/coat-drive for exact times and locations, and additional collection sites.
- Every New York City Police Precinct (24 hours a day)
- Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park (24 hours a day)
- The New York Cares Warehouse, 157 West 31st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues (9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday)
- New York Cares office, 65 Broadway (weekdays, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
- Pinkberry stores (during open hours)
- St. John's University (various locations on campus)
About The 25th Annual New York Cares Coat Drive
The New York Cares Coat Drive is one of the largest of its kind in the United States. Since 1989, New York Cares has collected and distributed 1.6 million coats.
The thousands of donated coats will be counted, sorted and distributed to organizations serving the homeless and other low-income New Yorkers, at an 8,600 square foot temporary warehouse space located at 157 West 31st Street in midtown Manhattan.
The sponsors for this year's New York Cares Coat Drive are the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee, Rubenstein, the New York City Police Department, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), Vornado Realty Trust, Toshiba, NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47, WBLS 107.5 FM, and Time Warner Cable.
New Yorkers can make financial donations in support of the Coat Drive and New York Cares' year-round work online, by text or by mail. For more information about the New York Cares Coat Drive, locations, news, or to make a financial donation, the public can visit www.newyorkcares.org or call 646-801-4022.