A Men’s Coat Drive in Queens - #QUCaresDrive19

“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.”

Two weeks ago, I put out feelers on my personal IG page to see if I could gain some traction for a last minute coat drive in Queens. While, we were able to organize our first one last year, this year we lacked the available time and resources to pull it off.

Then I was reminded of the brutality of a winter in New York City while riding the subway. On my journey home from work, I came across the iconic New York Cares ad, which depicts a shivering Statue of Liberty sitting down holding her knees.

At that moment I remembered what my father used to say about how New York winters made an already tough city, much tougher. It was at that moment I remembered that the image of that Statue of Liberty was my primary inspiration to organize our 1st ever winter drive.

So, while I knew I did not have the physical resources available to us this year, I knew if the community rallied around me, we could pull something off.

Within minutes of posting, we had coats, we had support and we had a drop-off location.

Inspired, I went to work on the details.  

This year’s drive will solely consist of men’s coats and will benefit the male residents of the Borden Ave Veterans Residence in Long Island City Queens.

The Borden Ave Veterans Residence is a tough place with tough residents who just months ago dealt with two cases of the deadly Legionnaires disease. It’s a place that holds men that have served and sacrificed for our country and now are without homes.

Also because the Borden Ave shelter is a temporary residence, the folks currently there will all be moving soon. Having them take along something as important and essential as coat, is something we want to help facilitate.

Thank you Alexander Richter, Dee Rea & Carla Moscosco, (in that order), it is because of you guys we have a coat drive.

Flyer and words by Adolfo Steve Vazquez