Kids & Family
Where Can I Donate a Coat in Bergen County?
Many organizations are holding coat drives in Bergen County this holiday season.
Bergen County has a reputation of affluence, but homelessness here has increased by 74.4 percent between 1989 and 2010, according to the Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness.
Poverty across the state in 2011 also hit the highest rate in more than 50 years, according to a report released earlier this fall.
As temperatures drop, people who are homeless or living in poverty need more help keeping warm. Here's a few of the places accepting donations of new and/or gently used coats this holiday season:
Find out what's happening in Fair Lawn-Saddle Brookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The 18th annual Jersey Cares Coat Drive is accepting "gently used" winter coats through February 7 in most of their 16 Bergen County collection locations, including sites in Englewood Cliffs, Mahwah and Westwood, among others. Click here for all the addresses and contact info.
One Warm Coat, a national effort which has reportedly distributed millions of coats to those in need, has coat drives at The Container Store, 370 Route 17 North, Paramus through December 31 and at Rita's Snips for Pips, 20 South Broad St., Ridgewood through December 20.
Find out what's happening in Fair Lawn-Saddle Brookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The Bergen County Housing, Health & Human Services Center is always accepting donations of coats and other new — and only new — men's and women's clothing, especially socks, underwear and sneakers. They also accept toiletries, watches with alarms, blankets and towels. The center is located at 120 South River St., Hackensack. Call 201-336-6491 for their specific needs at the moment.
Goodwill has donation drop-off boxes at the following addresses: 20-05 River Rd., Fair Lawn; 23 Hollywood Ave., Ho-Ho-Kus; 100 Dayton Ave., Ridgewood; 809 Route 17 South, Paramus; 1 Jockish Sq., Paramus and 507 S. Washington Ave., Bergenfield.
The Vietnam Veterans of America will come to your home to pick up donations of clothing and many other items. Click here to schedule a pick-up.
Grace Nursery School of Wyckoff is holding a coat drive to benefit Oasis, a nonprofit which provides meals, clothes and other services to women and children in Paterson. Donations can be dropped off at 555 Russell Ave., Wyckoff through December 13.
Fair Lawn residents can schedule a pick-up of clothes in good condition by calling 201-794-5304.
Hillsdale is collecting coats at their borough hall, 380 Hillsdale Ave., through February 7.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.