The 31st Annual Share the Warmth campaign has kicked off, with more than 14 collection sites throughout Tompkins County.
Donations of clean, new or gently used winter clothing will be collected, sorted and distributed across the area by volunteers from the Ithaca, Dryden and Trumansburg Rotary Clubs; Cornell University; Ithaca College; Finger Lakes ReUse; and Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga.
To volunteer to sort clothing, please sign up at this link.
Share the Warmth was initiated by the Rotary Club of Ithaca in 1987 on the Cornell campus and was expanded in 1993 throughout the county. The donated clothing is distributed by Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga free of charge to individuals who need the clothing for the winter.
The familiar red box collection bins can be found at locations around Tompkins County, including: Agway True Value Home Center (Cayuga Mall), BorgWarner Morse Systems (Warren Road); CFCU Community Credit Union (Main Branches), Cornell University (various locations around campus), Island Health & Fitness (Taughannock Boulevard and Community Corners), Ithaca College Campus Center, Ithaca Community Childcare Center (579 Warren Road), Kendal at Ithaca, Kinney Drugs in Dryden, Northeast Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, P&C Fresh, Seneca Place (inside Tioga St. entrance), Shur-Save in Trumansburg, Triphammer Marketplace (near Ithaca Bakery), United Way of Tompkins County (313 N. Aurora St.) and the YMCA.
Clothing will be accepted at each location for a five-week collection period, ending on November 20. The donations will be picked up by Finger Lakes ReUse, sorted by Rotary volunteers, and readied for distribution through the Samaritan Center of Catholic Charities. Distribution will take place November 8 – 19, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
All winter clothing in good repair is accepted. There is a special need for children’s outerwear, including sweaters, coats, snow pants, boots, hats, scarves, and gloves/mittens, as well as blankets. Adult warm clothing is needed as well. Each article of clothing donated should be clean, new or gently used.
For more information about Share the Warmth, please contact Richard Kops at (925)818-1357 or rkops@hotmail.com, or Loralyn Light at (607)592-2561 or LL48@cornell.edu.