Six years ago we posted “Where to Recycle Winter Wear” about recycling coats, scarves, boots and other cold weather items with us at Chicago Textile Recycling, or donating to one of many coat drives in the Chicagoland area. Because it has been a few years and some options have changed, we thought it would be a good time for an update on the latest “coat and more” collections in our greater Chicago area.

Chicago Bears Coat Drive

The Chicago Bears, Jewel-Osco, Salvation Army and Shur-Way Movers have teamed up for the 37th Annual Coat Drive. This coat drive runs until February 16 and benefits those in need. Call ahead to your local Jewel-Osco or click on the link to find which stores are accepting winter coat donations. If you are in need of Winter coats for you and your family, please reach out to Salvation Army (info also at the link) to find out more info.

Cradles to Crayons Chicago

With children constantly outgrowing items, this winter weather drive is an easy choice to help those in need in our very own Chicago area. Cradles to Crayons runs “Gear Up for Winter” with many options on how to donate winter weather items. From collection bins around Chicago, to hosting a coat drive in your area (or virtually), to fulfilling their Amazon wishlist, and volunteering in their warehouse, there are numerous ways to help children in need get the necessary winter weather items to keep warm this year.

“Winters in our region are brutally cold, and rising energy costs force many households into “heat or eat” decisions. 1 in 2 children in Chicagoland face Clothing Insecurity, and without winter coats, boots, and other warm essentials, kids risk health issues and are often excluded from recess and play.

87% of our Service Partners say they rely on Cradles to Crayons to provide children’s essentials at no cost. With your help, we can keep Chicagoland children safe and warm this winter.” (Cradles to Crayons Chicago)

TaskForce Coat Drive

Another option for those in Chicago is the TaskForce Keep our Community Warm coat and winter weather item drive. It is located at TaskForce Prevention & Community Services at 9 N Cicero Ave in Chicago. They accept new and gently used coats of all sizes, adult and children. They also accept warm winter hats, scarves and mittens.

One Warm Coat

A further option for donating winter coats is with One Warm Coat, a national organization started by one woman that gave one coat to someone in need. The website has a search engine to find local sites in Chicago where you can drop off winter coats for those in need.

Ousting Outerwear Options Abound

In addition to these organizations we’ve listed above AND the option of donation to Chicago Textile Recycling, there are likely more…potentially many more…ways to share our excess winter wear this year. From simple clothing donations to hosting drives to donating money to volunteering your time, there are so many ways to help those in need stay warm this Chicagoland winter. Please reach out to us with any questions via our website or social media pages for information about where to donate in your area. Thank you for recycling your textiles and helping those in need.