2 Minutes 2 Warm Thousands: Help Make Our Dream Come True!

In less than 2 minutes a day, YOU and your friends can help One Warm Coat get closer to our dream that everyone who wants a warm coat can get one, free of charge. Tom's of Maine (yes, the toothpaste company!) has chosen us as a finalist in a contest to win a share of $150,000! People of ALL AGES can vote - once each day - now through 9/13.

Your 2-minute task?

• Click 50 States for Good to learn more
• Click the vote "widget" there (or click the following link) to VOTE for One Warm Coat
• Return each day to vote again!
• Accept our heartfelt thanks for your support!

Your votes will help us climb the "leader board" to win a share of the prize that can make our dream come true.  

Won't you join us? And share this post with your email, Facebook and Twitter friends?  (Want a daily vote reminder? Contact us and we'll set you up.)

One Warm Coat Welcomes Doug Selee, new Chief Operating Officer!

Doug Selee

Doug Selee has joined One Warm Coat as our new COO (Chief Operating Officer)! Doug, a former VP of Operations for the American Cancer Society, brings a fantastic breadth of knowledge and deep experience to this newly-created role. He has already begun working with me and the Board, to learn how the “home team” supports our volunteers and sponsors and to share his considerable expertise. WE’VE learned that Doug has an easy smile, boundless energy and a deep commitment to our shared cause. Follow our blog and check out our newsletter to “meet” Doug and learn more about ways we can work together toward our goal of 1 million coats next season!

Holding Our International Neighbors In Our Thoughts

Today, news reports from Japan remind us that harsh conditions can impact us all without notice. As I watch the news, I am taken with the dignity, discipline and spirit of sharing among the Japanese people. It is a spirit we discovered last fall, when the dedicated employees of Delta Airlines Naruta office held our first Japanese coat drive.

Now, many international aid agencies - in the U.S. and elsewhere - have sprung into action to deliver critical supplies to those in need. The American Red Cross is equipped to handle donations from the United States to support relief activities in Japan.

Once again, we are reminded that the world is, really, one community - and our thoughts are with our neighbors enduring hardship across the globe.

Albert's Story Featured on Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog!

The "small world" of Albert's Story continues to grow! This month, our tale of the need for warm coats and the people who solved the problem was featured in Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog! It was just a few years ago that we first met and worked with Kivi Leroux Miller to learn new ways to inform others of the need for warm coats. Now, our little story joins others as an example of how a simple tale can make people aware of ways they can help people in need in their own neighborhoods and across the globe. Thank you, Kivi, for the work you do to teach nonprofit organizations the skills they need to fulfill their missions! We continue to use what we've learned every day!

Happy to be "Part of the Solution!"

Look for us on page 122 of this month's Redbook magazine! We're featured in "Be Part of the Solution," a section that offers 6 great ways to help others stay warm this winter. Thank you, Redbook, for publishing our message and showing others how easy it is to make a difference!

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!

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!

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.)

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!

Happy Anniversary, One Warm Coat & Burlington Coat Factory!

Yesterday, the Warm Coats + Warm Hearts campaign kicked off its fabulous 4th season with us! This year, the  Burlington Coat Factory drive goes from October 29th through January 17th. Here's to you, Burlington Coat Factory, for four fantastic seasons of great work warming lives and hearts in communities across the country! You're awesome! 

Modern Family's Rico Rodriguez Stars For 1 Warm Kid!

The young star of TV's Modern Family, Rico Rodriguez, recently starred in a You Tube video for the 1 Warm Kid campaign sponsored by P.S. for Aeropostale and One Warm Coat. In it, he decides whether to donate a favorite coat. Now, that’s one warm kid! (And his sister Raini’s pretty amazing, too!)

P.S. Meet One Warm Kid!

PSssst! There's big news at P.S. from Aeropostale. Introducing the "birth" of 1 Warm Kid!

Between October 11 and October 31, P.S. from Aeropostale stores are hosting a campaign to help kids in need and raise awareness of the growing number of families living in poverty. Click here to learn more and sign up!

Share the Warmth With Eddie Bauer!

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Traveling to Boston today to help kick off sponsor Eddie Bauer’s Share the Warmth/One Warm Coat event!

Starting Oct. 1 in Boston and winding up Nov. 21 in Seattle, participating Eddie Bauer stores from coast to coast invite you to bring coats for their coat drive - and then stay and shop. During the event, shoppers who donate coats at designated stores can receive 20% off their entire purchases. Your donated coat will go straight to someone in your community who needs it. Click here for a list of participating stores and event dates.   

Eddie Bauer’s corporate creed is to “give such outstanding quality, value, service and guarantee that we may be worthy of your high esteem.” (Are they worthy of our high esteem? Definitely!)

One in Seven, One in Five

Recent headlines told the chilling news that 1 in 7 Americans is living in poverty.

It's easy to hear a headline, feel the chill, and then go on with the day. But, take a moment to do this experiment.

Stand at a street corner in your community and notice 6 other people nearby. Or sit in the bleechers with 6 other parents or friends at a school event.

Now look around. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the "1 in 7" person from the headlines is one of you.

Shift your gaze to a group of children nearby - and know that, for every 5 children, 1 is living in poverty.

Headlines can be cold. That's why the work we do together is so important. Together, we are ...warming communities one coat at a time.

7th year of a Bay Area Tradition --

Friday After Thanksgiving (that spells FAT for many reasons) in San Francisco means LIVE television coverage by KTVU Channel 2 at coat drop offs at four Bay Area locations -- Bay Street Emeryville, Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek, Santana Row in San Jose, and our newest locatio, Westfield Centre in San Francisco.

I was up early to remind viewers of "Mornings on 2" of the coat drive and encourage folks to clean out their closet and help someone in need.

By mid-day we have close to 2,000 coats from all four locations.  Girl Scouts were on hand to help with sorting and counting the coats.

Teens will be warmer ---

We've had the amazing experience of working with Aeropostale, the teen retailer with over 900 stores, on the distribution of 100,000 new teen coats.  Working with more than 150 agencies in all 50 states and 4 provinces, these coats will be distributed during the month of November.

Watch "The Tyra Banks Show" on November 12th for information on the drive and the distribution of the coats in Chicago, Grand Rapids and New York City.

One of our "partner" agencies wrote to tell us what these coats will mean in their community:

"I would like to thank your organization for the heart filled coat program you have put together.  In this part of the US a coat can mean the difference between life and death.  It is nothing for the temp to drop to 50 degrees below zero with a chill factor of 50 below.  I want you to imagine the air, coming out of your mouth.  Turning to ice crystals right before your eyes.  I have seen people so cold until their lips are blue and tears from their eyes are frozen rolling down their cheeks.  Our teens in this area will be grateful and appreciative and warm because of you and your staff, bless you all."

Seventeen magazine's "Mission Awards" --

I grew up reading Seventeen magazine as though it were "the whole truth and nothing but the truth".  It's exciting to see the magazine support young women who are setting out to change the world --

The October issue recognizes 10 special young women who have solved problems and helped thousands -- AND they received a $1,000 scholarship as part of their recognition. 

Maddy Beckmann of Wildwood, Missouri was recognized for her efforts in collecting coats for children.  We were very happy to see the coverage of One Warm Coat as an easy way for teens to help in their communities.

State Governments Join the Project --

Today we announced our latest initiative "Coats from the Capitols" which brings goodwill and volunteerism right to the steps of state governments.  When considering the difficulty of the current economic environment, this initiative is both timely and heartwarming.

Nine governmental offices are now hosting a coat drive at their offices -- with more expected during the next two months.  We've heard from some states that they already were hosting a coat drive for their community.  Let's hope that ALL state governmental offices will be able to help their communities in this easy and important way.

Isla donated the first coat --

Here's the scene: a 100-yard long white tent with hundreds of photographers inside the walls, a WIDE red carpet, and a stream of celebrities -- think film stars, the author, producers and other "names". At the entrance a HUGE shopping bag just waiting for the donation of gently used coats.

Isla Fisher, the star of "Confessions of a Shopaholic" was the first to arrive. Here's her donation of one warm coat. (As I mentioned in an earlier post, it was 10 degrees -- perhaps she should have kept her warm coat???)

It was exciting to be there, to see the action and the activity. Over one-half of the celebrities and their friends and families brought coats.

Outside the tent Disney VoluntEARS were collecting coats that were brought by the audience who had been invited to the World Premier. Total number of coats donated? Well over 400!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/onewarmcoat/sets/72157613670390260/

We'll be posting ideas on how you can find "redemption" if YOU are a shopaholic --