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Updated 12/23/2008 06:58 PM

New York Cares Makes Push For Coat Drive

By: NY1 News

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As temperatures dip around the area, New Yorkers are being reminded to donate extra coats to help struggling families.

New York Cares says its annual coat drive has received about 10-percent fewer coats this year.

The organization collects jackets at dozens of locations around the city and hands them out to New Yorkers of all ages.

"There are a lot more New Yorkers out of work this season, so the agencies that we serve are getting more and more requests for coats," said New York Cares Executive Director Gary Bagley. "This is a year when people are really choosing between paying the rent, putting a warm meal on the table, and then getting a coat for their kids; so it's even more important than ever."

Donation centers include all police precincts in the five boroughs, as well as the Port Authority Bus Terminal, Grand Central Terminal, and Penn Station.

New York Cares says its greatest need is for large men's coats, but they also need jackets in all sizes for all ages, including infants.

Over the last 20 years, the group says it has collected more than a million coats.

For more information, go to NYCares.org.