Caring Partners coat drive returns Oct. 5 for New England families

Caring Partners’ Coats for Kids & Families is collecting winter coats from Oct. 5, 2026, through Jan. 9, 2027, across New England to help children and adults who cannot afford warm outerwear. The program says it has distributed more than 1.8 million coats since 1995 and is seeking donations, host sites and school participation.

Why it matters: - Rising costs for groceries and gasoline are making winter coats harder for some families to afford. - The coat drive aims to connect donated outerwear with children and adults who need help staying warm during the coldest months. - The program has operated for nearly 30 years and has become a major regional charity effort.

What happened: - Caring Partners’ Coats for Kids & Families is collecting gently used winter coats from Oct. 5, 2026, through Jan. 9, 2027. - The drive spans New England and uses more than 200 collection locations and community events. - Donations can be dropped off at Anton’s Cleaners, Jordan’s stores and Rockland Trust branches. - The program is sponsored by Anton’s Cleaners, Jordan’s and Rockland Trust. - Partners for the 2026-2027 drive include Anton’s Cleaners, Jordan’s, Rockland Trust and Boston 25.

The details: - Coats for Kids & Families has collected, cleaned and distributed more than 1.3 million coats since the program began in 1995. - The program’s broader history says it has collected, cleaned and distributed more than 1.8 million coats since its founding. - The drive accepts new or gently used winter coats in all sizes. - The greatest need is for XL and infant/pre-K sizes. - Donated coats must be warm and wearable. - The drive does not accept coats with rips, tears, broken zippers or permanent stains. - Sweatshirts, vests, spring coats, boots, scarves and gloves are not accepted. - Anton’s Cleaners professionally cleans each donated coat at no charge. - Local nonprofits, social service agencies, schools and community organizations distribute the coats to people in need. - School groups are a major part of the effort, and more than 200 school groups account for half of all coat collections each year. - Schools, businesses, nonprofits, civic organizations, clubs and other community groups can register to host a coat drive. - To sign up, organizations can register at antons.com/cfk.

Between the lines: - The program blends a donation campaign with a logistics network that cleans, sorts and routes coats back into local communities. - The emphasis on school groups shows the drive depends on broad community participation, not just retail drop-offs. - The need for larger and infant sizes suggests the program is targeting gaps that are often harder for families to cover quickly. - Leaders from Anton’s Cleaners, Rockland Trust and Jordan’s frame the drive as a community-response effort during a period of higher household pressure.

What's next: - Organizers are seeking more schools, businesses and community groups to host drives before and during the collection window. - People can donate financially, find a collection site or learn more through the program website. - Questions about the campaign can be directed to Stephanie Littlefield at Anton’s Cleaners Community Relations.

The bottom line: - The annual drive gives New England residents an easy way to turn an unused winter coat into immediate help for a neighbor in need.