Senator Valesky to Hold Coat and Blanket Drive to Benefit Newly Arrived Refugees

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – State Senator David J. Valesky (D-Oneida) will hold a coat and blanket drive at the State Office Building in Syracuse from Monday, October 28 to Friday, November 15 in partnership with InterFaith Works’ Refugee Resettlement program at the Center for New Americans. Refugee families often need coats, blankets, and other household items when they arrive in the United States. 

“With winter coming, I am pleased to collaborate with the Center for New Americans to provide much needed cold weather items,” Senator Valesky said. “Donations of coats and blankets will give the refugees a warm welcome to their new community.”

Area residents can drop off new or gently used washable coats and blankets in the lobby of the State Office Building through the entrance at 333 E. Washington St in Syracuse. All coat sizes are needed for toddlers, youth, women and men. 

Many refugees come from warmer climates and have never experienced the kind of winters that occur in Central New York. Most arrive in the United States with only the clothes they are wearing and the items that they can carry in a suitcase. The Refugee Resettlement program assists families with a variety of needs such as housing and furnishings, English language classes, school enrollment, medical care and employment.   

For more information about the drive, call Senator Valesky's office at 315-478-8745 or email valesky@nysenate.gov.