Press Release Archives - #621-96 Kick-off of New York Cares Coat Drive

Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: December 2, 1996

Release #621-96

Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Dwight Williams (212) 788-2972

MAYOR GIULIANI KICKS OFF THE NEW YORK CARES COAT DRIVE

(Bowery Mission) Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today helped kick off the eighth annual New York Cares Coat Drive by donating a used coat -- one of thousands the drive will provide to needy New Yorkers. The Mayor, joined by Police Commissioner Howard Safir, Kathy Behrens, Executive Director of New York Cares and Dennis Swanson, President of WNBC-TV, helped distribute coats to men and women at the Bowery Mission located at 227 Bowery between Prince and Spring Streets.

"The New York Cares Coat Drive is vital to the well-being of thousands of New Yorkers this holiday season," Mayor Giuliani said. "With a volunteer corps of more than 10,000, New York Cares has gathered thousands of coats over the past eight years. I encourage all New Yorkers to visit one of the more than 500 New York Cares drop-off sites, including at every police precinct in the City, and donate a coat for someone who might otherwise be cold this winter.

Mayor Giuliani concluded, "I salute the efforts of New York Cares, its volunteers and the thousands of caring New Yorkers who will make this holiday season a little warmer for a neighbor."

Eight years ago, New York Cares inaugurated its first clothing drive and last year, the organization collected and distributed more than 75,000 coats. There are more than 500 drop-off sites throughout the metropolitan area, including sites located in every police precinct in the City.

The coat drive is sponsored in part by the New York City Police Department, United Parcel Service and WNBC-TV.