ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — New York State Senator Bill Weber’s annual winter coat drive is off to its strongest start yet, with community contributions pouring in at a pace organizers have never seen before.
Launched at the beginning of November, the drive has already filled Weber’s local office with dozens of bags packed with winter coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and shoes — a response he calls both overwhelming and inspiring.
Over the past two years, Weber has collected and distributed more than 2,800 pounds of gently used winter clothing to families across Rockland County. Based on the volume of donations received in just the first 10 days, he believes this year could more than double last year’s total.
“We’ve had an outpouring that we’ve never seen before, and we’re only ten days into our coat drive,” Weber said. “We still have another month to go.”
The coat drive was first launched after a local nonprofit recognized the growing need among new arrivals to the region.
“At the time, I had a lot of people coming from Haiti, Mexico, Guatemala and other countries,” said Renold Julien, director of Konbit Neg Lakay. “I said, ‘You know what, most of these people here I know — they have nothing.’”
Julien said the goal has remained simple from the beginning: make sure everyone who needs a coat gets one.
“I really think it is important for someone to have a coat,” he said.
Donations of new or gently worn coats, gloves, hats, and shoes can be dropped off at locations throughout the county, including the Finkelstein Memorial Library, one of several community partners helping to support the effort.
“It’s been uplifting in a time where it’s a little bit chaotic and can be a hard time for people,” said Maria Vanessa Cipolla, who visited one of the drop-off sites.
The drive runs through December 15th.
Items will be collected at the following locations:
*Senator Bill Weber’s Office** 163 Airport Executive Park, Nanuet, NY
**Town Halls:**
- Clarkstown Town Hall- 10 Maple Ave., New City, NY 10956
- Haverstraw Town Hall- 1 Rosman Rd., Garnerville, NY 10923
- Orangetown Town Hall- 26 W. Orangeburg, NY 10962
- Ramapo Town Hall- 237 Route 59, Suffern, NY 10901
**Libraries:**
- Finkelstein Memorial Library- 24 Chestnut St., Spring Valley, NY 10977
- Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library-Garnerville- 10 W. Ramapo Rd., Garnerville, NY 10923
- Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library-Haverstraw- 85 Main St., Haverstraw, NY 10927
- Nanuet Public Library- 149 Church St., Nanuet, NY 10954
- New City Library- 220 N. Main St., New City, NY 10956
- Nyack Library- 59 South Broadway, Nyack, NY 10960
- Orangeburg Library- 20 S. Greenbush Rd., Orangeburg, NY 10962
- Pearl River Library- 75 E. Central Ave., Pearl River, NY 10965
- Sloatsburg Public Library- 1 Liberty Rock Rd., Sloatsburg, NY 10974
- Suffern Free Library- 210 Lafayette Ave., Suffern, NY 10901
- West Nyack Library- 65 Strawtown Rd., West Nyack, NY 10994
**Additional Drop Off Locations:**
- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland County- 10 Patriot Hills Dr., Stony Point, NY 10980
- Global Collision- 333 US-9W, Congers, NY 10920
- Veolia Water- 162 Old Mill Rd, West Nyack, NY 10994
- Yeager Health Center- 50 Sanatorium Rd., Bldg. A, Pomona, NY 10970