A Very Special KIND of Friendship!

Our new friends at KIND snacks just announced an exciting new project in partnership with us! Next Tuesday, Feb. 1st, in honor of the first 100 KINDaholics who purchase a warm drink for someone nice (and tell the company about it), KIND will work with One Warm Coat to make a NEW coat available to someone in need! We're delighted to be working with this new partner, who encourages people to surprise others with "an uncommon gesture of kindness." I plan on "kinding" my special person with my favorite gingerbread latte and my favorite KIND bar! (Who will you surprise?)

They Asked, "How Can I Help?"

More and more new people are reaching out after finding us on Facebook, this blog and other friends' sites. Looks like the effects of this winter's harsh weather have hit the warm spots in your hearts and you're looking for ways to help people in your communities. Whether the famous groundhog sees his shadow next week or not, one thing is sure: people will need warm coats for many months to come. If you are moved to help but don't quite know how, click One Warm Coat and link to Organize a Drive or Donate Coats. (It's so easy!) And welcome!

Hooray for Youthful Organizing!

Our young partners are unstoppable! Yesterday, our Warm Coats & Warm Hearts co-sponsor Good Morning America accepted over 500 coats from the youngsters participating in youth hockey. We've also learned about an organizer in Brookfield, WI whose coat drive is being held during a youth basketball tourney this coming weekend. And the Aware club at Silver Creek HS is helping us "go viral" with a "get out the vote" campaign focused on the USA TODAY ad contest! We're so pleased to be part of the community service work done by these young partners and their adult mentors. Thank you for lending your youthful energy and spirit to this very important cause!

Thanks for your support. Have you voted today?

We send a BIG thank you to those who have supported us this far in the contest to win free ads in USA TODAY! Voting closes at midnight Wednesday. Everyone age 13 or older can vote HERE once a day - every day - 'til then. (It would be great to have YOUR votes, too!)

Keep those votes coming - and Thank You!


Over the next 4 days, YOUR VOTES can make the difference between 2nd place and our winning free ads in USA TODAY! The ads will help us reach 3.3 million readers about the need for warm coats and how easy it is to help. Voting closes Wednesday at midnight, so we ask you to VOTE HERE today and every day 'til then! (Everyone age 13 + older can vote. Tell your friends!) Thank you!

Chevrolet Dealership Adds More to the "Giving More" Campaign!

The Pioneer Press in the Lakeville, MN area recently featured the unique winter coat drive organized by Jeff Belzer Chevrolet. The drive was part of Chevy's national Giving More campaign, which inspired almost 100 dealerships across the country to organize events in their home communities. Free to plan their own drive, Jeff Belzer Chevrolet offered a vehicle purchase discount for anyone donating coats! Now that's giving more!  Thank you, Chevrolet dealers, for your commitment to the cause of providing warm coats to all who need them - and for the unique and fun ways you inspire others to join you!

One Warm Coat in USA TODAY? Contest update!

Voting in the contest to win free ads in USA TODAY continues. Last time we checked, we’re in 2nd place! Public voting determines the winner. Daily votes are allowed - even encouraged! (Click here to vote.) In honor of World Hug Day (tomorrow), we send warm hugs to all our friends for helping us spread the warmth to millions more across the U.S.

Warm Coats & Warm Hearts Drive Extended!

Burlington Coat Factory recently announced the extension of our Warm Coats & Warm Hearts coat drive campaign! With 49 of 50 U.S. states experiencing snowfall this winter, this is fantastic news! From now through February 13th, all are welcome to take a warm coat to a Burlington Coat Factory store. We thank this wonderful sponsor for recognizing the increased need for warm coats and making it possible to provide even more people with them this season! (Now, it's YOUR turn! If you haven't cleaned the extra coats out of your closet, there's still time!)

Join us for Monday's National Day of Service

Service is as simple as donating one warm coat and as vital as providing warmth. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who we honor next Monday, said, "We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality." We agree! On Monday, we invite you to join the national Day of Service by donating a warm coat in your community. To find a coat drive near you, click here. Then, Find a Project by entering your zip code and looking for the One Warm Coat project posting. The winter is colder than ever, and the need greater. Help us share the warmth of a good coat with someone in need.

One Warm Coat in USA Today? Yes - with your daily votes 'til 1/26!

We're finalists in a contest whose prize is $100,000 in free ad space in USA TODAY! Winning this prize (from Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding) would help us reach 3.3 million readers about the need for warm coats. You, the public, choose the winner by VOTING EVERY DAY from now through midnight Jan. 26th. While we don't usually ask for this kind of help, we believe in this wonderful opportunity. Together, we can spread our message much further and provide even more warm coats to those in need. Many friends "kicked off" the voting with us yesterday by voting and sharing the contest link with friends and contacts everywhere. Click HERE to vote TODAY and EVERY DAY day through the contest's end. And see us smiling in appreciation for your support.  

On My Way - To GMA!

"I'm leavin' on a jet plane..." to New York today to join Robin, George, Juju, Sam and the team on Good Morning America tomorrow! Tune in for a special One Warm Coat message – and thanks for making this year’s Warm Coats & Warm Hearts campaign truly phenomenal! We cherish our wonderful sponsors and partners!

A Prescription for Warmth!

Dr. Selwena Brewster and her busy Emergency Department residency colleagues somehow found the time to collect loads of coats for the Newark Goodwill Rescue Mission last month. This extremely caring group of health professionals at the UMD (the University of Medicine and Dentistry) NJ showed us that there's always time to make a difference (although we don't quite know how they found it). Warmth for the winter – a prescription that starts the healing right away!

Lots More / More "Lots" of Coats on eBay! Bid 'Til Jan. 13th!

From now 'til 1/13 (that's this coming Thursday!), Good Morning America invites you to bid in a live auction on eBay to benefit the Warm Coats & Warm Hearts campaign. Choose from warm coats donated and autographed by hot celebs like Jessica Simpson, Bristol Palin (and fellow "Dancing" celebs like Jennifer Grey, Maksim & Derek), Josh Groban, Darius Rucker, the Professional Bull Riders and others who visited the GMA set during the campaign. Bid here and tell your friends. Proceeds go to One Warm Coat to help us purchase new coats for children next fall. Thanks, GMA, for creating another fantastic way for people to make a difference!

Attentive & Warm-Hearted Bus Driver on GMA

"...That is what we're supposed to do - help each other," said Marilyn Robinson, a school bus driver in Parchment, MI. Just before winter break, Ms. Robinson noticed that six children had no warm coats. She contacted Donna Pearce of the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission, who found the resources to provide the children with warm coats, new backpacks - even a gift card for a local store. Learn more about the kids' new coats, Ms. Robinson, Ms. Pearce and how Burlington Coat Factory provides children's coats by watching Good Morning America next week. We send warm thoughts to Marilyn Robinson and all the attentive, big-hearted people like her who notice those in need in their communities and take steps to help!

You've Got Company

The Warm Coats & Warm Hearts campaign is going strong, and you can make a contribution today. If you or a family member got a new coat over the holidays, why not grab that old coat and donate it at your nearest Burlington Coat Factory store? With over 140,000 coats donated so far, you’ll definitely be in good company!

A Resolution-ary Idea!

Happy New Year! With the year just starting, we have a resolution-ary idea for you, in honor of the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Why not volunteer in your community on Monday, January 17th, the national day of service? Volunteering can be as easy as donating a coat to someone in need. With hundreds of coat drives happening that day and through the month, searching for a coat drive in your area is easy. Click here for our website's Donate a Coat page and enter your zip code. After you drop off your coat, check that resolution off your list and have a happy new year!