Winter is here, which means it is time to pull out the coats that have been stashed away since last March. This month, Yad Leah has teamed up with over 30 yeshivot and day schools to collect new and lightly used coats to send to needy families in Israel. It is an opportunity both to collect as many coats as possible and to provide schools with volunteer experience for the students.

Yad Leah, a chesed organization that collects new and gently used clothes from the United States to send to Israel for families in need, found themselves with two seemingly separate requests this year. One was for coats, as they had been receiving phone calls from Israel as the weather grew colder. The other was for volunteer experience, as the schools have been largely unable to provide hands-on volunteer opportunities for their students during the COVID crisis. In order to fulfill both needs, the idea was born to create a coat drive that was run through the various schools. Each school has the option of three different levels of volunteer work for the drive. Every participating school can collect coats, and the students can also help sort the coats or label boxes and pack the coats for shipping, depending on the wants and needs of each school.

It was a simple request and schools were enthusiastic, as it is a wonderful opportunity for the students to be a part of something meaningful and tangible, empowering them to give. Yad Leah reached out to many yeshivot and day schools, not only Modern Orthodox and not only in the New York/New Jersey area, but schools representing all types of Jews and even some in Pennsylvania and Connecticut. This is not simply a coat drive from one shul, one school or even one community. The United Yeshiva Winter Coat Drive is an effort on behalf of the entire Jewish community, one united initiative, with the goal of getting as many people involved as possible.

To donate, get in touch with a participating school to learn how they are running their drive, and send in your new or gently used coats with a student.

For more information, and to see the schools participating, visit https://www.facebook.com/watch/YadLeah/