November 5, 2008 > Spread warmth this thanksgiving season Spread warmth this thanksgiving season By Meenu Gupta Photos By courtesy of Roberto Gonzalez November has set in, the month of thanksgiving. Time to give thanks for what we have, time to help those not so fortunate, time to open your closets and find the coats you no longer wear and share warmth with those in need. This thanksgiving, give the gift of a warm coat. One clean, reusable coat at a time can go a long way to help someone stay warm this winter. One Warm Coat is an organization living up to its name, and they can help you give at least one warm coat. You can help by donating a coat, by organizing a coat drive in your community or by participating in it as volunteer and distributing the coats. "Preschools, churches, individuals, anyone can participate in the drive, send us your collection plans, we will review them and send a banner to advertise your coat drive," said Sherri Lewis Wood, National Coordinator. Select the dates of your drive, there being no set time for a drive, select the agency online to receive the coats and complete the registration form available online. The One Warm Coat drive started in 1992 as a Thanksgiving Weekend coat drive in San Francisco. "Last year more than 2,000 coat drives were held across 48 states," said Ms. Wood. In 2002, over "300,000 coats were donated nationwide." "The donation driven One Warm Coat was our first annual coat drive but it is definitely not our last. Here at Best Buy in Union City we are always looking for ways to help our community any possible way," said Justine Mabugat, who is organizing the coat drive at Union City. "We want to give big thanks to One Warm Coat for giving us an opportunity to do the coat drive as well as radio station 106 KMEL for helping us with promoting it to the public. Without them I don't think our turn out would've been so great. But it was a very big success. So much thanks to everyone that helped out." The coat drive is going on from now until Saturday, November 15. So if you have coats to donate bring them to Best Buy in Union City. Coats and jackets will be donated to Fesco Family Shelter in Hayward. The majority of people in the Fesco Family shelter are children so coats are needed in children's sizes the most. For more information on how to participate visit: http://www.onewarmcoat.org/ or call (510) 441-2130 ext. 2100 and ask for ask for Justine. One Warm Coat Now until Saturday, November 15 Best Buy 31350 Courthouse Dr., Union City 441-2130 ext. 2100