One Warm Coat . . . or REALTORS nag clients to clean out your closet!
Realtors nag our clients about cleaning out closets before they put their home on the market, but this time, THIS Realtor is asking you to clean out your closet as a charitable act.
Encouraged by Social Media guru, Mike Mueller, to write a blog about a favorite charity, "One Warm Coat" stood out to me as being particularly important this time of year.
"One Warm Coat" is a national effort meeting local needs: their goal is to provide any person in need with a warm coat, free of charge. Providing this simple yet vital need helps people live productive lives year round. You can organize a coat drive, or clean out your closet and donate a coat or TWO!
Thankfully, in Tulsa, we have had a long tradition of donating coats, started by Jim Giles, deceased anchorman for Channel Six News. You can take your new or gently-used coats to any Yale Cleaners location, and they will mend and clean your coats. The coats are then given to Catholic Charities for distribution.
I just inventoried my coat closet. Three short coats, two full-length coats, one red coat, one black coat - I don't possibly NEED all of these! I think I might feel just a little bit warmer in my red coat if I knew that my black coat was keeping someone else warm.
Please visit this web site for more information about Tulsa's and Giles' Coats for Kids program and for addresses of the many Yale Cleaners drop off locations. (Don't forget that adults need coats too!)
If you need a coat, call Catholic Charities at 949-HOPE or visit the Giles' Coats for Kids Distribution Center at the NEW Catholic Charities location, 2450 N. Harvard. Please bring a form of ID for each family member who needs a coat.
If you live outside of Tulsa and wish to start a similar program, visit the "One Warm Coat" web site for guidelines and suggestion of how to start a drive in your home town.
Sorry to be a nagging REALTOR, but do just one thing this week for me, and clean out your coat closet! You'll feel warmer, I promise!
Lori Cain is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa Oklahoma area, including midtown Tulsa, Owasso, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Sand Springs and Jenks. Please visit Lori's web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.
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Lori is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa area and specializing in downtown Tulsa and midtown Tulsa real estate.
Wonderful thoughts and a wonderful post!
I feel warmer already! : )
Mike, thanks for the nudge - have needed to write this post, but it slipped my mind. I changed my photo on Facebook and Twitter - will get to AR later. Must go donate a coat, pick up a contract and deliver Christmas cookies right now! :-)
You know, I was thinking about all the clothes I haven't worn in years. Count me in. Lori, you have the true Christmas spirit. God bless us everyone.
Thanks, Joe. It's a sad thing that we rarely think about GIVING until we get in the Christmas spirit - when we should do it year-round. But, it's a reminder and we should all act on it. Have fun cleaning out your closet!
That's a great charity and there is one at the Los Angeles Mission. I will do a post about it on my website. Thank you, Lori.
Welcome, Jane.
Do GOOD stuff - it ALWAYS comes back around! Happy Holiday to you!
This is a good program. I just donated a few coats to Goodwill last week.
Thanks Lori, for reminding us to look within (our closets) at this time to see if we can't find some "stuff" to donate. It's also a great time to take inventory, reflect on the year past, and (yes) be thankful for what we have. Goodwill industries (and all the other great organizations) will never go out of business unfortunately, until we can provide for all of those in need. (Steve)
Thanks Gita and Steve. Try to donate to organizations that don't RE-SELL your donations. Many can not even afford that.
Steve - definitely a time to reflect and be thankful.
BTW: I have Sherri from OneWarmCoat on my radio show this Monday!
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Hi Lori...Thanks for posting this. I have a red winter jacket that I have never worn which I will be donating with a couple of coats.
I agree that we should think of giving at other times of the year not just during the holidays. The need is there throughout the year. One way to achieve that is to pick a charity or two (I donate to Doctors Without Borders) and give a have it sent directly each month through your credit card.
Kate