Give Back in a Flash: Helping with Haircuts!

Hey do-gooders!

As you know, I am a huge fan of the "get one, give one" phenomenon which has really boomed with the charitable consumer goods market.  Now, "get one, give one" comes to haircuts and giving back couldn't be any easier!  Take your children to the Hair Cuttery for their haircuts from August 1st through August 15th and for each paid haircut, a free haircut will be donated to a child in need so that every child can look great for school in September!

The Hair Cuttery is back again this year for its Twelfth Annual "Share a Haircut" Campaign!  For every paid haircut for a child aged 18 or younger, the Hair Cuttery will provide a free haircut for a disadvantaged child.  This service is available at all 900 Hair Cuttery salons across the nation!  Click here to find your local Hair Cuttery.  Over the past 12 years, the Hair Cuttery has provided over 500,000 free haircuts to needy kids so that they can look great for their first day back at school.

For those of us in West Hartford, here are the closest Hair Cuttery locations:

Elmwood Plaza
176 Newington Road
Suite D
West Hartford, CT
860-523-3221

Corbin's Corner
585 Hartford Rd
New Britain, CT
860-229-0128

Glastonbury
2753 Main Street
Glastonbury, CT
860-652-0016

How easy is that?!

xo Jessica

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Give good health, do-gooders!

Dearest do-gooders,

As many of you know, I am surrounded by doctors and those soon-to-be so it's no surprise that, at some point, I would have at least one medical-related giving back post. The wait is now over!  My sister sent me information about this great cause which is so easy to support! The program is called WorldScopes and it's funded by the American Medical Association. Basically, WorldScopes sends stethoscopes all over the world to needy clinics who are in desperate need of even the most basic medical equipment.

Ways to Help WorldScopes!

1. Send your new or gently used stethoscopes directly to WorldScopes using this address label!
2. Organize a stethoscope drive! Got 20 scopes or more? The AMA will pay your shipping!
3. Donate tax deductible funds so that WorldScopes can buy new stethoscopes.  Every dollar donated goes to purchasing stethoscopes as all administrative costs are paid by the AMA!

I'm big on organizing drives because they seem hard but are really very easy to do! If you want to organize a drive, you can use my DIY drive guide, however, WorldScopes has made it even easier by providing a step-by-step stethoscope specific giving guide (say that five times fast) to organizing your own drive.  WorldScopes provides email scripts for your mass emails, fact sheets, testimonials, and even posters and postcards! In fact, WorldScopes provides email templates specific to physicians, medical students, or the general public. WorldScopes makes it remarkably easy to organize your own stethoscope drive.  You'll be amazed at how little effort this will take for such a huge payoff because WorldScopes does so much of the work for you!

So, you want to organize a stethoscope drive? Head over to Worldscopes and download some fact sheets, figure our where you're going to put your collection box, pick your audience and download an audience-specific email script, send out a mass email, email Worldscopes to get your free posters and post cards, and get started!

Looking for a local place to pick up a new stethoscope to donate?  Try the UCONN Health Center Co-op in Farmington right off of Farmington Avenue. You can also purchase stethoscopes in a range of prices and qualities from Amazon. My pick (with guidance from someone who actually knows how to use one) is the 3M Littmann 2454 Lightweight Stethoscope (which comes in a variety of colors) for $45 including free shipping at Amazon.com. This stethoscope is a bargain since it's from a very reliable brand which makes high-end stethoscopes. If you're ordering online, simply send the scope directly to WorldScopes by clicking here for the address.

Giving good health really is easy!

Happy giving, do-gooders!

xo Jessica

Give Back in a Flash: Hands on Hartford Annual Holiday Toy Shoppe for Needy Kids Next Wednesday!

If you're looking for a fun, hands on, easy way to give back over the holidays and to help out needy families, look no further!  Hands on Hartford's Annual Holiday Toy Shoppe Event is next Wednesday, December 15th!

The Event is sponsored by the Avon Old Farms School which donates gifts for the needy children coming to the event.  While the kids are busy doing arts and crafts, their parents can "shop" for gifts in the next room.  All of the gifts are donated to the families.

What can you do?  Hands on Hartford needs volunteers to gift wrap presents, participate with the arts and crafts activities, serve refreshments, and to stay and help clean up after the event is over. Hands on Hartford needs 40 volunteers to make the event picture perfect. Can you help out?

If you want to volunteer, email Brittany Casciani at Hands on Hartford as soon as you can at bcasciani@handsonhartford.org or click here and click on "Volunteer for this Project."  If you've never volunteered before,  you'll have to create a profile on the Hands on Hartford page before signing up online.  You can also call Hands on Hartford at 860-728-3201 and ask for Brittany!

Happy giving, do-gooders!

xo Jessica

Give Gifts that Give for the Holidays, do-gooders!

Upon special request, I have compiled this list of the best ethical giving websites that I can find.  What is ethical giving?  It's buying beautiful products for your holiday gift giving from companies and non-profits that give back to the community.  You're going to buy gifts anyway, so why not do it from a company or organization that gives back?  Ethical giving sites offer great gifts that are generally no more expensive, and sometimes, less expensive than traditional gifts.  So pick your favorite cause and go shop for good!

Ethical Giving from Ethical Shops: My Gift Picks

Ten Thousand Villages is my top pick for ethical giving.  You can buy in-store or online at this fantastic shop featuring beautiful jewelry, home decor, tabletop items, collectibles, stationery, sculptures, toys, and more.  Everything in the store is fair trade and benefits artisans in developing countries by giving them a platform to sell their goods on a long-term fair trade basis.  Once you purchase, the artisan receives a 50% cash advance and then when your order ships, they receive full payment.  All items are priced so that artisans are fairly compensated for their labor and materials.  Ten Thousand Villages also works hard to ensure that all of their artisans use environmentally sustainable practices.  Check out this Indian-made Antiqued Disk Necklace which is only $28.  I love this store!


Green Heart Shop is an amazing eco-friendly, non-profit store based out of Chicago, IL which only stocks fair trade items which directly benefits artisans in Chicago and in over 60 countries by paying them fair wages and encouraging sustainable practices.  You can search for gifts by category, country, materials, or by specific artisan.  Green Heart Shop features toys, jewelry, clothing, accessories, books, paper, food, kitchen items, and beauty products.  My pick from Green Heart Shop is the Funky Monkey stuffed animal for $24 which is made by a collective of five women in Peru called Ima Sumacc.  The Funky Monkey comes in five different colors and is hand knitted from sustainable materials.



FEED Projects is another favorite of mine started by a lovely woman named Lauren Bush.  FEED products allow you to wear stylish gear, the purchase of which goes to help people all over the world, especially children, through the FEED Foundation.  FEED Projects' mission is to create good products that help feed the world.  They do this by building in a set donation to the cost of each of their great products.  Feed sells bags, bears, t-shirts, and other accessories on their site.  My pick is the Feed the Children bag for $60. Not only is it totally cute, but the purchase of the bag goes to fund school meals for a child in Africa through the UN World Food Program for an entire year.


Made by Survivors helps you to help women who were victims of trafficking to become self-sufficient.  The organization helps survivors of slavery to rebuild their lives after they are rescued.  They provide them with training and education which allows them to achieve a sustainable income and to be reintegrated into society.  Made by Survivors truly helps these survivors to rebuild their lives and works actively to prevent trafficking in high risk communities by creating jobs in the areas and by raising funds for their shelter partners, for school fees, and for emergency needs in the communities. My gift pick is the Free Tote for $25 which allows you to directly contribute to setting up new production sites for survivors of trafficking who are now artisans.  The tote was designed by UK designer Susan Shaw and is made by the survivors at AFESIP Camboida.


Cambodian Threads is a socially responsible company that offers beautiful silk scarves that are handmade by families in Cambodia.  All of the families are paid fair wages in non-sweat shop environments.  After paying the artisan families for their materials and labor, for each and every scarf sold, Cambodian Threads purchases necessary school supplies for 10 cambodian children.  That's right, with one inexpensive scarf purchase, you can give a beautiful gift, help artisans earn a fair wage, and help 10 Cambodian school children to have school supplies.  Easiest giving back ever!  My pick is the Jet Black Scarf for $22 which is handcrafted by the Heng Family from Prek Bongkong, Cambodia.


Check out these other great sites too for gifts that give: OmniPeace, Global Girlfriend, World of Good, The Hunger Site, Maggie's Organic Clothing.


Tribute Gifts to Benefit Those in Need: My favorite option!

And now for something completely different...you can make donation based gifts to people in need in the name of a loved one.  If the person you're buying for is like me (or is me), this is a truly amazing gift that will bring so much happiness both to the tributee and to the beneficiary of the gift.  This is my favorite type of ethical giving!


Oxfam, including their Oxfam Gifts site, is one of my favorite charities on earth.  The Oxfam Gifts site allows you to purchase farm animals, manure, carts, seeds, stoves, trees, water purifiers, beans, rice, water pumps, wells, or even houses for people in need in developing countries. You can also purchase educational goods like art supplies for kids, HIV testing services and education, school uniforms and so much more.  Oxfam gives you the power to make a real difference in the lives of people!  Just think about it, for Christmas you can give a family in Africa pure water to drink or a chance to go to school!  Want just a stocking stuffer?  How about giving someone the gift of soap for $12 which in the developing world can stop the spread of disease with a little item that we take for granted every day.  Want to go a little further?  My pick for Oxfam Gifts is the lovely goat that you see pictured for $50.  The gift of a goat is an amazing resource for rural communities, especially those in areas where other animals might not survive.  Goats are hardy and can be a source of milk, fertilizer, and food for families. See the goats in action!

Also consider the Safe Horizon Gift Catalog which allows you to make a woman or child's life better right away!  Safe Horizon is absolutely one of my favorite organizations.  I have seen them help victims of violence with my own eyes many times.  The services that Safe Horizon offers are truly unparalleled as is their commitment to help victims of violence achieve peaceful lives.  That's why I absolutely love the Safe Horizon Gift Catalog because it gives you the ability to help these amazing professionals do their jobs a little better because you've made the funding a little easier.  You can donate a counseling session for a domestic violence victim or abused child with a mental health professional for $95.  You can also donate a New York City Metrocard to help a woman independently survive and be self-sufficient.  This gift can help her get to appointments with counselors, lawyers, and to court dates.  My pick?  For $70, you can ensure that the locks on a domestic violence victim's home are changed to keep her abuser out.

Giving Back for the Holidays is So Easy!

I hope that I have given you plenty of easy, ethical-giving options for the holidays this year.  There are so many amazing products out there that allow you to gift and give back at the same time!  As usual, let me know if there is something more specific that you'd like me to find out about in the comments.

Isn't that easy?

Happy giving, do-gooders!

xo Jessica

Give Back in a Flash: The Bridge Center Wish List

Hello do-gooders!

In my "Give Back in a Flash" posts, I'm going to be posting a single opportunity that has recently caught my eye and is worthy of sharing ASAP.  So here goes...

The Bridge Family Center has put out its winter Wish List and by purchasing and donating something off the list, you can make a child who has been through a lot much happier this holiday season!  The Bridge Family Center is an organization that helps families in the Hartford area with counseling, group services for youths and children, and support.  The organization also runs residential programs for youths in crisis.  Many of the children helped by the Bridge Center have been abandoned, abused, or suffered horrible family tragedies. Help these kids feel better by making them feel special!

The Center's Wish List includes:

Gift cards (Marshall's, Walmart, Kohl's, BJs, Best Buy, Bob's, Target, Old Navy, AJ Wright, TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory, Eblens, Westfarms Mall, Michael's, Bow-Tie Cinema, CVS, Walgreens, Border's, Barnes & Noble, FYE, Supercuts, Visa and American Express Gift Cards, Restaurants (Chili's, Ruby Tuesdays, Olive Garden, Friendly's), Supermarkets)
Long Distance Phone Cards
Sports Equipment (especially official sized basketballs)
Winter Clothing (New Winter Coats for teens (male and female), New winter hats, gloves, scarves)
New Raincoats (for children aged 3-6)
New Games (especially "Connects" building activities)
Books (Picture books for ages 0-8, books for ages 8-18)
Journals and composition books
Stamps and Stationery
Donations to send kids to Summer Adventure camp

For the full list including some bigger ticket items they are seeking like a Wii, click here!

Items can be dropped off at the Bridge Family Center main office at 1022 Farmington Avenue in West Hartford Monday through Friday between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm.  If you need assistance, ask for Judy Bierly who is in charge of the collection.

This is also a perfect organization to donate to after running a DIY drive!

Nothing like a little giving back after giving thanks!

xo Jessica

DIY do-gooders!

In light of last week's post of the Great Holiday Coat Drive List of 2010, I thought about those of you who might want to go the extra mile to create your own drive.  In my investigation, I actually found that sometimes it's even easier to create your own drive at work, at school, or at your place of worship, than it is to drop off stuff at someone else's drive and the impact is that much greater!  The reason drives can be so easy is because a lot of shelters and organizations will come and pick up the contents of your drive for you--you don't even need to transport the items.  All you need to do is advertise and store the items until there are enough to pick up!

There are lots of different drives to DIY and some are easier to do than others.  Keep in mind that coat drives require a lot of storage space in which to keep the coats until they are picked up, however, there are a ton of other types of drives that you can do which take up very little space, if storage is an issue for you. 

So here are some of my favorite ideas for DIY drives.  All you need to do is to send a group email, possibly hang up a flyer or two, and put out a collection box at your school or office!  Plus many of the drives below can be done year-round!  We tend to think about volunteering and donating most around holiday time, but there is a great need at shelters all year round.

Mitten Tree  

The description pretty much says it all.  Get a small or large Christmas tree and ask your colleagues or anyone else to bring in a pair of mittens, a winter hat, a scarf, or other winter gear and hang the items on the Christmas tree.  This is a festive and fun way to give back!  Then you can donate all of the items to a local shelter or organization seeking winter clothing donations.  Of course, you don't actually need a tree and can simply collect winter items to donate in a box.  Feel free to wrap the box in wrapping paper for a holiday touch.

Sock Drive

Though you might not know it, socks (and underwear!) are one thing that almost every shelter in is desperate need of.  Socks are also an easy and inexpensive item to collect and donate.   You can also do a sock drive all year round since shelters are always in need of clean, new socks and underwear.  All you need to do is set up a cardboard box in your office and send a few emails to get your sock drive going.  You can select which shelter you'll be donating to in advance so you know what types of socks to collect.  If it's a domestic violence shelter, you'll want to collect women's and children's socks.  If it's a homeless shelter, you might want to buy larger men's socks.  For a family shelter, all types of socks are probably needed.

Toiletry Drive

This is another drive that you can do year round and for which there is always a tremendous need.  Shelters are often in need of these basic necessities that we take for granted every day.  At night and emergency shelters, there are often communal bathrooms so think about donating spray deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, disposable razors, shaving cream, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair brushes, combs, and feminine products like pads and tampons.  For family shelters and transitional housing, which most shelters also have, try donating laundry detergent, toilet paper, diapers, and first aid supplies.

Fun fact, I recently organized a toiletry drive at the Connecticut Law Review office and we have already collected almost a full cardboard box (wrapped in fun holiday wrapping paper!) of toiletries to donate to the South Park Inn in Hartford.  From experience, this is truly an incredibly easy way to give back.  South Park Inn, like many shelters, has a "Wish List" for donations.  One phone call over to South Park Inn confirmed that they were thrilled to receive a large donation of toiletries and that they would even send someone to pick up the items!

Toy Drives

Toy drives are great because again, all you need is a box to collect in order to make a child's Christmas that much brighter!  Toys for Tots is the easiest way to donate toys.  With Toys for Tots, you can arrange to become an official drop-off site or you can simply hold your own in-office or school drive and drop off the toys at at any drop-off site or any Toys R Us or Babys R Us location.  If you want to make a truly local impact, consider donating to a domestic violence or family shelter since many family and domestic violence shelters house mothers with small children.  You can place a call to any domestic violence shelter or family shelter to ask if there is a need there for toys for children, then collect and drop off!

Want to make it even easier for your colleagues to donate?  Ask them to order online at the online Toys for Tots headquarters at Toys R Us and have it all shipped to you for drop off, or use an online service to send directly to families in need!  Donate directly to the New York Cares program through Toys R Us which allows you to pick a gift from the Wish List and send to shelters serving domestic violence victims, victims of trafficking, homeless youth, and victims of sexual assault.  You can also give directly to a needy child after viewing his or her profile and wish list at JC Penney's Adopt an Angel program which goes through the Salvation Army.  So easy!

Coat Drives

Coat drives are one of the easiest ways to give back this winter, if you have the space to store the coats before they can be picked up.  Easy ways to do this, free up a closet by asking co-workers to place coats on the backs of their chairs for a couple of weeks in order to make space.  How about using that empty office that every office seems to have to store the coats?  Racks are easy and cheap to buy if you need them.  I got some at Target for under $20.  Try this one.  The easy thing about coat drives is that coats are one of the easiest things to have an organization come over with a truck to pick up so if you advertise and collect, most organizations or large drives will come to you to collect and will distribute the coats for you to those in need!

Before you start your drive, identify an organization that you'd like to donate to and make one phone call to find out the needs of the organization (many places are looking for particular sizes, for instance, Hands on Hartford is looking for Men's sizes XL to 3XL) and to arrange to have the coats picked up!  One of the best organizations to organize a drive with is One Warm Coat which even has an online guide to organizing your own coat drive!  One Warm Coat actually organizes local participating shelters, gives you information about what type of coat each participating shelter is looking for, and how to get the coats to the shelter.  To cut out your own research on a local organization and get right to it, I can't think of an easier way to organize a drive.

Finding out who needs what and when

Before putting out your collection box, it is important to have your destination site in mind.  Give one phone call to the organization of your choice to make sure that you're donating exactly what they need, what they have space to hold, and what they can easily distribute.  If you're donating clothing, find out what condition the clothing should be donated in and what sizes are needed at your site.  Find out what population frequents the shelter where you're looking to donate.  You don't want to donate a whole bunch of women's clothing if the shelter serves 85% male individuals.  One two minute phone call will answer all of these questions and you can also find out whether the shelter or organization will pick up what you've collected.  Most locations are happy to do so if you have a big enough donation!

Local Organizations in Hartford that Need Your Help...

Give a call over to these organizations when you're thinking of organizing a drive as needs change throughout the seasons.  Don't see a shelter in your neighborhood?  Leave a comment with your location and I'll find an organization in need there!

Hands on Hartford
Interval House Domestic Violence Shelter
Mercy House Shelter
South Park Inn
The House of Bread
Shelter for Women at the Village
The Marshall House Family Shelter

DIY Do-gooding

Designing your Own Drive is an easy and meaningful way to give back this holiday season and all year long!  This is one of the best and easiest ways to make a huge impact in your local community by donating directly to the people who need it.

Easier than you thought, right?

Happy Thanksgiving, do-gooders!

xo Jessica

Donate some winter warmth, do-gooders!

One of the absolute easiest ways to do good over the winter months is to donate a coat. I have compiled the "Great Holiday Coat Drive List of 2010" so that whether you live in the West Hartford area, Southern Connecticut, New York City, Boston, or Philadelphia, there is an easy place for you to donate!

The shelters and other service providers who will be receiving these coats vary in the types of services they provide and to whom the coats will be distributed. Feel free to tailor (!) your donation to the type of recipient you would like to benefit most. Before you decide not to donate a coat this year, just a few quick facts. The homeless often lose their coats during the summer since they have no place to keep them, so many homeless individuals need a new coat as the winter cold sets in. Victims of domestic violence often leave their abusive homes with nothing but the shirts on their backs. Many children have parents who can't afford to purchase a new coat for them as they grow out of the old ones each year. Someone without a coat during the bitter Northeast winters faces a host of illnesses and even death. Donating a coat is a small thing that you can do to help make someone's winter a little warmer, and, hopefully, I'll make it really easy for you to donate this holiday season!

Let's be honest, we all have a coat that maybe doesn't fit quite right or maybe we liked the style when we bought it but now we want something new with all of the holiday sales coming up. As long as the coat is in good condition, donate away! Of course, if you wouldn't wear it because the lining is ripped or it's so worn out that it isn't warm anymore, or it is pilling all over the place, it's best to toss that coat instead. So clean out your closets and make some space for all the cozy sweaters and winter clothes you're ready to pull out. If you go shopping and want to buy a new coat to donate, even better!

All of the places to donate ask that the items be gently used or new, and most ask that they be clean. So, do gooders, I present to you, the Great Holiday Coat Drive List of 2010!

CONNECTICUT

Connecticut do-gooders, look no further than Best Cleaners for your one-stop coat donation shop! Best Cleaners will actually dry clean your coats before taking the donations over to the Salvation Army. That's right, they will take the coat that's been sitting in your hall closet for a couple years and dry clean it so that it is fresh and crisp for its new owner. This is the easiest coat donation system I've ever seen. Plus, you can drop the coat at any of the Best Cleaners locations in Connecticut. Best Cleaners has locations in Berlin, Bristol, Canton, Glastonbury, Farmington/Unionville, Middletown, North Haven, Plainville, Rocky Hill, and Windsor.

Another great coat drive is the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce Toy and Coat Drive. This is one of my favorite picks because it's a type of what I like to call "combination giving." The drive is combined with the Chamber's Annual Holiday Business After Hours Party on December 9, 2010 from 5:30-7:30 at Companions for Living & Hartford Dental Associates at 1216 Farmington Avenue in West Hartford. Come meet, greet, and network with over 75 West Hartford professionals for hor d'oeurves and beverages! Admission is free for members of the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce and $20 for non-members and all party attendees are asked to bring unwrapped toys to benefit The Town that Cares Fund and new or gently used coats for donation to Button Up Connecticut. Can't make it to the event? The Chamber is accepting unwrapped toys and new or gently used coats at their offices at 948 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. through December 17, 2010!

One of my favorite organizations, Hands on Hartford, is in desperate need of coats to give out this winter, so make room in your closet by donating to their Annual Coat Drive!  Drop off your clean, gently used or new coats in the basement of South Church.  The entrance is at 1 Buckingham Street.  Drop off coats Monday through Thursday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or Friday between 9 p.m. and 3 p.m.  I spoke to Rosa at Hands on Hartford this morning and she said that they need to fill the coffers and haven't received nearly enough coats this season.  They are especially in need of coats in Men's sizes XL to 3XL. 

Button Up Connecticut has lots of opportunities for coat donation throughout the State of Connecticut! Towns that you can drop-off in are New Britain, Bloomfield, Glastonbury, West Hartford, Tolland, Wethersfield, Granby, and Meriden. For a list of drop-off locations and times, click here! My pick for donating through Button Up in West Hartford is Effie's Place Restaurant at 91 Park Road because you can drop off there seven days a week! Drop-off anytime Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Want to donate a coat in Southern Connecticut? Look no further than One Warm Coat! One Warm coat has drop-off locations in Madison, New Haven, and Stamford. For Madison and Stamford donations, you have to act quickly because they are only collecting until November 20th! New Haven is accepting donations until December 31st, so plenty of time to donate. Click the links for your town for drop-off times and locations!

More combination giving, this time in Southern CT! Want to save 10% off of your entire purchase storewide at any Trailblazer store? All you have to do is donate a clean, new or gently used coat at the Trailblazer Coat Drive. Trailblazer has locations in New Haven, Branford, and Uncasville, CT and is accepting donations at all their stores. Donations to the New Haven store will benefit Harbor Health Services Clothing Drive, donations from the Branford store will benefit Columbus House, and donations from the Uncasville store will benefit Norwich Human Services. Trailblazer is accepting donations between November 15th and December 28th. This is an easy way to give back and get back!

NEW YORK CITY

New York Cares is one of my favorite organizations, period. Talk about an organization that makes it easy to give back! So, it is no surprise that the 22nd Annual New York Cares Coat Drive is a really, really easy way to donate a coat this holiday season with tons of drop-off locations throughout the city. After 22 years, it seems that they have this down to a science. So just the basics here, donate your new or freshly laundered gently used coat December 1-31st.

New York Cares is accepting donations during your morning commute between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m on weekdays at Grand Central Station in the Graybar Passage, in Penn Station at the Amtrak/NJ Transit portion of the terminal, and at Port Authority in the Main Concourse at the 42nd Street entrance. Can't make it during the morning commute? My pick for drop-off is the Pond at Bryant Park which is accepting donations anytime. Just think, ice skate and donate! You can also drop off anytime with New York's Finest at your local NYPD precinct or if you'd rather look at home furnishings and paint colors, just drop off at any Janovic Paint and Decorating Center, click here for locations throughout NYC, or drop-off anytime at all locations of Oz Moving and Storage.

If you happen to be heading to Madison Square Garden for a Rangers game, here's an easy way to give back (and if you have an extra ticket, feel free to invite me!). The New York Rangers and the Garden of Dreams Foundation are holding their 5th Annual Children's Coat Drive. Bring a new or gently used coat to the game with you until December 3rd and you get a commemorative Rangers item! Collection bins are set up in the mall area outside the Garden Box Office and also the suite lobbies on the 9th and 10th floors. Can't make it to the Rangers game? Here's a list of ice skating rinks where the team is also collecting coats!

GREATER BOSTON AREA

My pick for the Greater Boston Area coat donations is One Warm Coat. They have a ton of drop-off locations throughout the area. In Boston and Cambridge, the easiest drop-off location during the month of November is City Sports. Every City Sports store is accepting coat donations for One Warm Coat and if you like their page on facebook, they will donate $1 for each like to One Warm Coat. City Sports has locations in BU, Back Bay, Downtown Crossing, Harvard Square, Porter Square, Chestnut Hill, and Legacy Place.

Outside the city? Check out the One Warm Coats drop-off location page for drop-off spots in Abington, Auburn, Billerica, Braintree, Bridgewater, Chestnut Hill, Danvers, Dartmouth, Dedham, Dorchester, East Boston, Fall River, Hingham, Holyoke, Hyannis, Kingston, Lanesboro, Mattapoisett, Milford, Millbury, Natick, Plymouth, Providence, Quincy, Revere, Shrewsbury, South Attleboro, South Grafton, Springfield, Stoughton, Tauton, and Worchester. Just click on Massachusetts on the map.

GREATER PHILADELPHIA

Greater Philadelphia Cares is accepting coats from now until Martin Luther King Jr. Day for their 15th Annual Winter Coat Drive! Greater Philadelphia Cares has made it extremely easy to donate with a host of donation drop-off locations. There are five different locations in Center City for drop-off including Applebee's on South 15th Street, the Sheraton at Society Hill, or the Conestoga Bank at the Chinatown, Arch Street or their two Market Street locations.

Not in Center City? Greater Philadelphia Cares also has locations in Northwest Philadelphia, Northeast Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, and in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey!

And for a fun night on the town combined with giving back, this is one of my favorite picks for Philly! On December 10th from 8 p.m. to midnight, members of the Mazzoni Center's Care Services team will be taking over the bar at the Bike Stop at 206 S. Quince Street for their Winter Coat Drive Event. There will be beer, jello shots, and cupcakes! Bring new children's coats, mittens, hats, scarves, and presents to benefit children living with HIV/AIDS.

DIY COAT DRIVE

It's really easy to organize your own coat drive too.  Many organizations will actually come and pick up all of the coats for you!  Look for more information in an upcoming post.  Want to start your drive sooner rather than later? Post a comment or email me and I will send information your way.

Didn't see your area represented above and want to donate a coat?  Post a comment with your city or town and I'll find the easiest way to donate in your neck of the woods and share it with you!

In the meantime, I hope that I've made it easy for you to donate a coat this winter and to share warmth with those less fortunate this holiday season with the Great Holiday Coat Drive List of 2010!

Happy Holidays!

xo Jessica