It's a 3-Peat! Burlington Coat Factory Customers Have Done it Again!

Sherri's off soon on an amazing road trip to deliver brand new warm coats to children across the country! It's a warm and wonderful "3-Peat" by customers checking out at Burlington Coat Factory's stores. They've donated over $135,000 to One Warm Coat for the purchase of new coats for kids! During October, Sherri joins a variety of agency teams to deliver the coats in person. She'll keep us updated on the cities she visits and the stories of the people who work to make a difference there. Thank you, Burlington Coat Factory patrons, for helping us spread the warmth again!

Bunker Hill Publishing: Helping Us Help Others

Bunker Hill Publishing is excited about their new book, "Helping Santa: My First Christmas Adventure with Grandma," and so are we! This familiar yet timeless tale perfectly depicts the spirit of caring that inspires generation after generation to help others. Check out their blog to learn more. (We especially appreciate the part that tells about their sharing a portion of the book's sales with One Warm Coat!) Thank you, Bunker Hill Publishing, for helping us get out the message that no one should go without a warm coat this winter.

A Pattern of Giving: Red Heart Yarn & One Warm Coat

One Warm Coat enters the world of knit and crochet crafting this Fall, thanks to Red Heart Yarn! This generous sponsor has created the colorful Heartfelt Super Saver yarn just for us. Crafters everywhere are invited to knit or crochet a Heartfelt scarf and donate it to a local One Warm Coat drive. (Details on Red Heart's website.) A warm coat and a cozy scarf, One Warm Coat and Red Heart Yarn...We see a pattern here, a pattern of giving that will now warm communities...one coat - and one scarf - at a time! Sherri's starting HER scarf this week! Why not join her?

We'd Like to Thank the Academy...!

We'd like to thank ...TechSoup  and the wonderfully wired (and wireless) people who included Albert's Story in their recent awards for the 2011 Digital Storytelling Challenge. TechSoup was founded in 1987 on the belief that technology is a powerful enabler for social change. We agree! We are so touched by the top prize winner Mountaintop Library Expands Horizons (Room to Read). We think you will be, too! Thank you, TechSoup, for guiding us and other nonprofits across the globe in the creation of deeply meaningful programs that support our causes.

Disney Stars Madison, Mickey and Minnie Donate Coats!

Good Morning America was the "happiest place on earth" recently! Disney stars Madison Pettis and Mickey and Minnie brought loads of warm coats to add to our giant donation box! Thank you, Disney friends and Warm Coats & Warm Hearts for helping us collect over 200,000 coats during this important drive. (Help us spread the warmth! YOU and your friends can donate coats at an area Burlington Coat Factory store through Sunday, February 13th and make YOUR town one of the happiest places on earth! )

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?)

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!

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!)

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!

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!

One Warm Coat, One Warm Soul, One More Smile

The weather outside is frightful! Record snow, rainfall and below-normal temperatures sent most of us searching for warm coats this week. Thanks to the Warm Coats & Warm Hearts campaign, many more are able to join us. Check out a few of their stories in the campaign’s Give a Coat, Change a Life video. One young wife and mother of five, whose family received coats after an electrical fire destroyed their home, affirmed that “It’s symbolic - not just because it’s cold outside.” Theirs are the tales that warm our hearts this winter!

Hope You Are Smiling Today!

“It brings tears to my eyes to hear the excitement as the coats are arriving. Hope you are smiling today!” (We are!) This note and many others like it come to us through the efforts of sponsor Burlington Coat Factory and their customers who donated directly to our cause at check out last summer. (With these funds, we were able to purchase and ship thousands of new coats to children across the Western U.S.)
Once again, for a limited time, customers can visit a Burlington Coat Factory store – or their website – to make similar donations. When you look into the happy faces of these adorable – and now WARM – children, you'll know that you've made a difference. And we bet that YOU’RE smiling today, too! Thank you all!

The Coats Off Their Backs Could Go Into YOUR Closet!

Glad Products Company offers YOU (and all your friends) a chance to win a Glad® ForceFlex™ bag FILLED with coats donated by America's favorite actors, recording artists, style icons and athletes! Why copy Sarah Jessica Parker's style? Now you can wear the real thing while contributing to our cause. All proceeds go to One Warm Coat! Now through Dec. 27th, EVERYONE can go to the Glad Charitable Celebrity Coat Auction and bid on coats donated by Parker, Justin Timberlake, Tim Gunn, Kyle Massey and many others.  With new celebrity donations each week, you’ll want to make TheBagBank.com a Favorite site and get emails when new "lots" open! Warmest thanks to Glad and these generous celebrities for helping to raise awareness of the need for warm coats - and helping us collect LOTS of coats to share with those in need.

Kris Jenner Designs One Very Warm Coat with Curel Skincare & Searle!

Kris Kardashian Jenner has joined forces with Curél® Skincare and Searle to create the exclusive Barrier Coat in honor of One Warm Coat. The coat was designed to keep out the cold and keep in the warmth (just like Curél® Skincare's new moisture-barrier lotion). Click here to learn more and order one of your own. Thanks to the partnership's generous support, many, many more people will have warm coats this season!

We Love Burlington Coat Factory - Now in More Ways Than One!

Today, our Warm Coats & Warm Hearts partner, Burlington Coat Factory, added another way for customers to spread the warmth this winter! From now through January 17, 2011, in addition to donating gently-worn coats at Burlington Coat Factory locations, their loyal customers can make monetary donations to One Warm Coat at check out! Donations from a similar campaign last July enabled us to deliver warm coats to thousands of children in the mid-mountain West last month. Thank you again Burlington Coat Factory! Your creativity and dedication will continue to help us spread the warmth even further this winter and next!

I Left My Coat...In San Francisco!

Girl Scouts from 30 area troops joined volunteers and the One Warm Coat team on the day after Thanksgiving for the annual kick-off to the San Francisco Bay Area coat drive. This "flagship" coat drive featured multiple drop-off locations, including The Ferry Building in San Francisco, BayStreet shopping center in Emeryville, Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek, and Santana Row in San Jose.
Thanks to the generosity of thousands of Bay Area friends - and day-long coverage from KTVU Channel 2 TV  - WE COLLECTED  ALMOST 4,000 COATS! With such dedicated supporters, it's no wonder someone wrote, "I left my heart.." about this great city and its people.  (And the drive goes on! To find your area's drop-off location, check our "Donate A Coat" map.)

Eddie Bauer: Warm as Toast From Coast to Coast

It's been quite a trek for the Eddie Bauer staff and their Airstream trailer, on their cross-country coat drive road trip. The Eddie Bauer One Warm Coat campaign revved up in Boston on October 1st and visited key cities' coat drives on the way to the "finish line" in Seattle Sunday, November 21st. And what a fnish it was! Check out their coat drive videos and you'll understand why they collected over 6,000 coats! With autumn winds blowing and winter on the way, we say a BIG thank you to Eddie Bauer staff and customers who have made it possible for people in need to stay warm as toast - from coast to coast!

Warm Coats & Warm Hearts on Good Morning America!

Set your TV's "reminder" and watch Good Morning America tomorrow (Thursday, November 18th) when GMA joins the Warm Coats & Warm Hearts campaign. We can hardly wait to see which special celebrity guests visit the set with coats to fill that GIANT donation box! Warm Coats & Warm Hearts celebrates its 4th year of great partnership. GMA, Burlington Coat Factory and One Warm Coat... warming communities one coat at a time... on our way to 1 million coats this season!