LYNN — Peter Cipriano is collecting winter coats to keep needy families from being left out in the cold this year.
Cipriano, 50, of Lynn, has been collecting gently used winter coats for men, women and children all year and plans to keep his drive going until the first week of January.
His aim is to collect 1,000 winter jackets, which would far exceed the 600-plus coats he was able to donate in 2019.
Although the leaves have not yet started to change in New England, Cipriano estimates that he already has about 400 coats in his basement that will later be cleaned and donated to various organizations for distribution.
“I have not had many people reach out this year that are in need of coats,” said Cipriano. “As the colder weather gets here, I think people will.”
Cipriano has been collecting coats for people in need for the past five years, but unlike past years, people will be discouraged from coming to his house to pick up their coats because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead, he will rely on his traditional distribution method, which involves having a representative from the Shoe City Lions Club come to pick up the coats and then bring them to Anton’s Cleaners, where they are cleaned and distributed to local organizations.
From there, the coats are given away to people who would otherwise not be able to afford them.
“All the help I can get is appreciated,” said Cipriano. “With COVID this year, so many restaurants have closed and so many people are out of jobs and having to give up jobs to home-school. They’re really going to need our help this year.”
To get the word out, Cipriano has been posting about his drive on social media, which includes a big push on local community pages, such as those for Lynn, Nahant, Swampscott, Revere and East Boston.
It is also not unusual for Cipriano to spend his weekends driving around nearby communities to pick up coats from local donors. For example, last weekend, he was in Marblehead, Revere and Salem picking up coats.
The self-described early bird encourages people to leave their coats out on Friday nights so he can pick them up early Saturday morning.
Cipriano has also found success at apartment buildings, such as the Waltham Watch Factory, where he collects about 100 coats each year because the business manager lets him put out a donation box.
The number he now takes in from that one mixed-use apartment building each year is notable because it matches the amount he collected when he first started the drive.
Cipriano decided to start collecting winter gear five years ago at the urging of his friend, Sandi Watkins, who started the initiative. He collected about 100 coats for her the first year and 350 in 2018 when he took over the drive.
His output increased significantly last year when he decided to start collecting coats year-round. Although Cipriano was not able to exceed his goal of 700 coats last year, he aims to collect 1,000 not only in 2020, but each year going forward.
“If I was collecting the normal 300 that I was collecting in just a few months, I thought to myself: imagine if I collected all year round,” said Cipriano. “There’s a need for it. It’s giving back to my community.”
To donate, contact Cipriano at [email protected] or 617-800-4344.
