42 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • MARCH 18, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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New York Cares and Commonpoint Queens host coat drive in Little Neck
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
New York Cares hosted a coat distribution
for its 32nd annual coat drive at
Commonpoint Queens in Little Neck on
Th ursday, March 11.
New York Cares volunteers and Heather
McGreevy, the director of immediate
needs and public spaces at New York
Cares, distributed boxes with approximately
1,700 brand-new coats for infants,
children, women and men to 15 Queens
Community Partners.
Th roughout the winter season, the organization
has distributed 60,000 coats to
New Yorkers in need, and New York Care,
the largest volunteer organization in New
York City, aims to raise funds for its annual
coat drive through mid-March.
Heather McGreevy explained that a coat
is not a luxury but a necessity in New York
City, especially now when many New
Yorkers have to make diffi cult choices
about meeting their basic needs because
of COVID-19.
“When you are looking at 20-degree
weather, and somebody has to get back
and forth to their job, when they have to
drop off their child at school, or a senior
that needs to get their groceries, having a
coat means a lot,” McGreevy said.
Because of COVID-19, New York Cares
couldn’t operate its regular coat drive
and organized a virtual fundraiser, which
raised close to $900,000, double of what
the organization typically receives.
“It’s so heartening and so wonderful. And
what we were able to do is leverage wholesale
purchasing power. So, $20 buys a new
coat,” McGreevy said. “When you think
about where your money goes and how to
really have an impact, it’s an excellent example
of investing in a nonprofi t. We are really
putting your money to good use.”
Jared Mintz, director of communications
at Commonpoint Queens, was
grateful for the partnership with New
York Cares. Commonpoint Queens, a
social services organization with locations
in Forest Hills and Little Neck, has
been working tirelessly during the pandemic
to meet New Yorkers’ evolving
needs, he said.
“We’ve seen just such a great need all
across our community for all kinds of supplies.
I mean, especially food and hygiene
products and clothing. And to be able to
provide clean new coats, it’s just going to
make a world of diff erence,” Mintz said.
Maria Carcafo picked up coats for a
drive at Compassion Adventist located in
Corona. New York Cares staff and volunteers
loaded her car with over 10 boxes
of coats, and she shared that the need
for basic necessities in her community
is greater than ever because of the high
unemployment. Th e organization also
holds a food drive every Wednesday serving
over 1,000 residents. Sometimes, residents
have to be turned away because the
organization runs out of food.
“It hurts when we see that we don’t have
enough food as people are waiting in line
waiting to be fed. It’s very hard; it’s very
diffi cult,” Carcafo said.
Anne McGreevy has been a volunteer
with New York Cares for over fi ve years
and thinks it’s more important than ever
to lend a helping hand to New Yorkers
who are faced with economic insecurity.
She shared that her late husband and
McGreevy always looked forward to the
coat drive because they couldn’t imagine
Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
a child not having winter coat. Th is year,
she participated in the virtual fundraiser
and donated money for coats in her husband’s
memory.
“Th e face of hunger is changing.
Children still need coats. Families are still
starving. So many people have lost their
jobs. We have so much; we have so much
to give. What we can do is give our time.
It doesn’t matter what you do. We owe it
to humanity to do something. We are all
so fortunate,” McGreevy said.
Since 1989, the New York Cares Coat
Drive has collected over 2 million winter
coats for men, women and children
throughout the city. For more information
on ways to help keep New Yorkers
warm, click here.
First Central Savings Bank sponsors grant
for student climate change program
BY SOFIA VALDES
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
First Central Savings Bank (FCSB)
announced a $2,500 funding grant to
sponsor The Long Island Library
Resources Council’s Students for Climate
Change program in Nassau and Suff olk
counties.
Th e interactive learning program will
focus on a wide spectrum of environmental
topics including climate change, advocacy,
renewable energy and education.
Young children in low- to moderateincome
geographic areas will be the focus
of this series. Th ese areas on Long Island
are more vulnerable to fl ooding and heat
waves, lack of resource distribution, and
other risks magnifi ed by climate change.
“As a community bank, we are proud to
sponsor this eff ort for young people and
families to grow and learn about energy
effi ciency and support activities that promote
climate resiliency through education
and empowerment, especially of hard-hit
income groups and demographics,” said
Michael Serao, executive vice president
and chief administrative offi cer at FCSB.
According to FCSB’s about us section
on their website, FCSB is committed to
enriching their communities, driving
local economic growth and cultivating
lasting relationships by putting the best
interest in their clients fi rst.
Th e Long Island Library Resources programs
are free and open to the public to
attend and will be hosted throughout the
public libraries in Nassau County and
Suff olk County on Long Island. Photo courtesy of First Central Savings Bank
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