“There is virtually no limit to what young people can do, no social need they cannot help meet, and giving young people the opportunities to serve enables them to become contributors, problem-solvers, and partners with adults in improving their communities.”
Benson & Roehlkepartain
We’re Proud of Young Ambassadors!
Holding a coat drive is a great activity for preschoolers – college students and everyone in-between! Whether a young person or group of young people are looking for an activity for a club (like Girls Scouts, Daisies, Brownies, Boys Scouts, Cub Scouts, Key Club, Service Clubs, Volunteer Clubs, FBLA, etc) or for in the classroom, a coat drive is a great way to involve one or many young people in making a difference in their community.
Download the one-pager below that best describes the youth you are working with. If you have any questions, please email us at drives@onewarmcoat.org.
This page contains:
- Pre-school – 8th Grade Handout
- High School – College Handout
- Sesame Street Lesson
- Lesson Plan for Young Students
- Community Service Information
- Information For Teachers
Handouts
Preschool – 8th Grade Handout
High School – College Handout
Sesame Street
We are so excited to see a clothing drive episode on Sesame Street! Watching this episode with young Ambassadors is a great way to introduce them to the importance of donating gently worn items instead of throwing them away. The episode shows just how easy it is to make a difference! It’s a great addition to younger student lesson plans.
*Note: One Warm Coat is not affiliated with Sesame Street. We just love the lesson in this episode!
Additional Resources
Welcome to Kids Who Care, a coat drive project for very young children and their families!
Through a series of basic activities over a three-week span, teachers, parents and caregivers help young children collect and distribute gently used warm coats. Together, they make a real and lasting difference in the lives of their neighbors and friends. (Note: This plan was created as a three week project but can be adapted for any period of time)
Project Goals:
The Kids Who Care coat drive program is designed to:
- Teach children, parents and caregivers about the need for warm coats in their home communities and how easy it is to make a difference.
- Show children that they can be an important part of a community service project, even though they are very young.
Learning Objectives
A school-based coat drive offers learning opportunities for both children and parents/caregivers.
Children will learn that:
- Their neighbors may be in need
- They can help, even if they’re very young
Parents/caregivers will learn that:
- Their children and the people who care for them care about helping others
- It’s easy to help when you work together
Many schools and programs require students to complete volunteer hours in order to graduate or complete their program.
A One Warm Coat drive may be a perfect project for you!
One Warm Coat’s online instructions – Hold a Drive in Three Simple Steps – will help you through the step-by-step process of holding your own coat drive. You will be required to keep track of the hours that you spend on the project and may need an adult or qualified person to verify your work. We have provided a Project Log for you to track your time and information about your drive, however, keep in mind many schools have specific paperwork that they require.
A Certificate Of Appreciation is available to you when you complete your drive. If you need a confirmation letter for your project, One Warm Coat will be happy to provide you with one. You must:
- Register your drive
- Report your coat totals on your registration page
- Request your confirmation letter by emailing drives@onewarmcoat.org.
Once your school’s coat drive is registered with One Warm Coat, you will be provided with Tools & Resources to help you get organized from start to finish.
Who gets the coats?
Coats stay in the community where they are collected. They are given to anyone in need, for free.
How do the coats get to the people in need?
One Warm Coat partners with nonprofit agencies and schools across the U.S. You will use the Nonprofit Locator Map to choose an agency in your area to receive your coats. That agency’s staff will ensure that people in need receive your coats.
What Your School Determines:
- When and where to hold your drive
- How to promote your drive in your community
- Which nonprofit partner will receive the coats you collect
If Your School Need Coats:
If your school is in need of coats for your students, you can register to be a Nonprofit Partner. You will then be able to keep any coats you collect to distribute to your students in need. This would also allow you to accept coats from your community.
Cost:
Coat Drive registration is free for schools.