GET INVOLVED: START A COAT DRIVE

Anyone can participate by collecting coats during Steve’s Coats for Kids. If you would like to help as an individual, you can bring coats to any of our donation locations by using our donation location map.

This annual drive runs Nov. 1 to Dec. 31.

A Steve’s Coats for Kids drive is an easy way to have a huge impact on local kids in your area. Uplift your community by helping a child stay warm this winter.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Collect coats for kids! Donate new or gently used coats of ALL sizes, or, even better, organize your own coat drive on behalf of Steve’s Coats for Kids. There are many great reasons to do this project, including:

· Feel great about ensuring that every child has a coat this winter.

· Help families who are in a financial crisis who aren’t able to buy a coat for their child.

If you wish to simply make a monetary donation, click here.

GET HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS:

Whether you organize a coat drive on your own or make the organizing a group effort, you will need to reach out to a lot of people in order to make your coat drive a success. Recruit your family, work colleagues, neighbors and others in your community.

MAKE A PLAN:

You will need to develop a task list and plan for the following:

1. Determine drop-off dates and locations.

2. Consider local community locations such as faith organizations, libraries, community centers or even schools.

3. Ensure that someone will be at the location at all drop-off times.

4. Make sure each drop-off location has a receptacle to place the coats. Decorate a bin or box to use at your location. Make it fun. With the enormous outreach, WSOC-TV isn’t able to supply collection bins. Some of the most creative collection receptacles are boxes decorated by kids.

5. Schedule the drop-off deadline a few days before the date you plan to drop off your coat donation. Consider keeping an estimated tally of collected coats. It’s helpful to know what you achieved when you celebrate your success.

6. Divide your tasks — don’t do it all yourself.

PROMOTE IT:

Do the following to promote your coat drive:

· You can download our Steve’s Coats for Kids flyer here to promote your event.

· Provide the date, time and location for the coat drop-off.

· Tell all of your friends — word-of-mouth is a great promotional tool.

· Reach out to PTAs, community organizations, faith organizations, libraries, etc., and ask them to help you promote the coat drive. They could promote through bulletins, email blasts, social media, mention at public meetings and/or allowing you to post your flyer in their buildings.

· Post the Steve’s Coats for Kids drive on social media and send out messages to your network.

· Post signs near the drop-off location to make it easy for everyone to find you. Use large construction paper or poster board so people can read the signs from their cars.

DROP OFF YOUR COATS:

· Once you’ve completed your collection, you can bring your donation to any of the Steve’s Coats for Kids donation locations listed here on our donation location map.

· You can also bring your donations to our Steve’s Coats for Kids collection day on Dec. 6th, from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. at the WSOC-TV studios, 235 W. 23rd St., Charlotte, NC 28206.

Steve’s Coats for Kids relies on the generous support of our community. If your organization or business would like to get involved or help with any WSOC-TV community campaign, please email your inquiry to Deirdre Conley, Creative Services Director, at dconley@wsoc-tv.com.

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