How To: Hold a Coat Drive

When winter approaches, you and your friends have sort through all of the winter clothes that you forgot about. Maybe your coat is too small, it no longer suits your style or just isn’t for you anymore (like if it's real fur; stop hurting beavers for your fashion needs!). Hold a coat drive to help the homeless stay warm in the chilly weather.

1. Contact a family, homeless shelter or an agency that will accept your coats before you start your collection.
2. Remember to ask them:
   • Do you give the coats away free to those in need?
   • How would you get the coats (i.e. would you pick them up or would you want us to drive them over to your center)?
   • Can you give coats to both kids and adults?
   • Is there a limit on how many coats you can accept?
   • Can we mention your name/organization when we tell people about our drive?
3. Set a date and time that you will drop off your coats.
4. Find places that will host your drive.
   • Will your homeroom teacher offer up a classroom?
   • How about the principal's office? Perhaps your local church?
5. Advertise it.
   • Get it in the school's morning announcements.
   • Make a Facebook page or group.
   • Ask people to promote it on Twitter.
   • Make your drive a location to check-in on Foursquare.
   • Be sure to include the dates to drop off, where the bins are located, times to drop off your coat, drop off requirements (no kid coats, nothing ripped, etc.), and who the coats will go to.
6. Close down. Officially end the drive by posting the number of donations you collected in the common space where the drive was located. Also put the news on the internet sources you used.
7. Donate. Whether the organization is picking the coats up or you are dropping them off, follow through with donating the coats on the date you agreed on.