Coats for the Homeless

Help provide comfort and warmth for those in need!

People who are homeless or living in poverty have a difficult time protecting themselves against the elements, which makes them even more vulnerable to illness. A surprisingly large portion of the homeless population in the U.S. consists of children under the age of eighteen. Many homeless people report chronic health problems, like pneumonia.

Where the cold is intense, appropriate coats can help prevent sickness and deadly hypothermia in these vulnerable homeless populations. In other areas, appropriately weighted jackets can provide protection from the rain and other elements, helping bolster both comfort and health.

Soles4Souls, an organization dedicated helping those in need, plans to distribute 30,000 coats in the U.S. and 70,000 in seventeen other countries around the world. These coats will be distributed at homeless shelters, orphanages, schools, and community centers. Some will go to impoverished women who will have the option to sell them at the market — striking at the heart of women's poverty around the world, and providing essential financial assistance to families that need help.

You can help. Just $1 distributes one coat to someone in need. Your generous donation will help Soles4Souls receive, document, sort, package, and distribute coats in the U.S. and across the world.

Update from the Field

May 2017

Thanks to YOUR donations, Soles4Souls was able to provide nearly 4,000 coats to those in need! In 2016, Clothes4Souls (a division of Soles4Souls) partnered with Macy's "Buy 1 & We'll Donate 1" campaign, which donated 35,000 brand new coats to Clothes4Souls. Working in partnership with Greater Good and local charities and service organizations across the United States, Soles4Souls has distributed a total of 165,000 coats since 2013.

One volunteer at a Georgia subdivision of Soles4Souls shared this story:

"This has been one of the coldest winters in 20 years here. And through working with Daybreak, a homeless day shelter, we were able to provide coats to many. On one of the coldest day here, a young man came from Daybreak wearing just a black tee-shirt, but left wearing a warm Calvin Klein coat. Another man, using a walker, walked about 4 miles to get a coat. After learning how far he had come, I asked why he walked so far. He simply said, “I needed a coat. Y’all are doing a good thing. More people should help y’all.” This distribution also gave the women’s center a chance to be re-introduced to the community. For this, I am very grateful for the partnership with Macy's and Greater Good."

2016

Soles4Souls worked with the Martha Bryan Center which empowers children, youth, and adults in poverty to transform their lives through work, education, employment, and fellowship. The Martha Bryan Center is located in a low-income area of East Nashville where the average annual household income for families is less than $6,000, well below the national poverty threshold. The winters in the Nashville area bring temperatures below freezing for weeks at a time. For many families, a new coat for a child isn't an affordable option and is often overlooked. Many children arrive at school without adequate winter wear which can have lasting effects for a child in need. With the help of your donations, they were able to provide 400 coats for children pre-school through jr. high.

Soles4Souls is a global not-for-profit institution dedicated to fighting the devastating impact and perpetuation of poverty. Soles4Souls distributes shoes and clothing in two ways. Most new items are given directly to people in need, both in the U.S. and overseas. Soles4Souls also collects and sells used clothing, as well as some new items allocated by manufacturers, to create self-sustaining jobs that generate desperately needed revenues in impoverished communities like Haiti.