Miss New Jersey Pre-Teen launches coat drive

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Nearly 50 million Americans are currently living in poverty. For these families and individuals, a warm coat is a budget extra they simply cannot afford. Miss New Jersey Pre-Teen Nyla Edwards of Maplewood invites area residents to make a difference in neighbor’s lives by donating coats and dollars during her upcoming coat drive.

Nyla is working with One Warm Coat to collect clean, gently used warm coats, and dollars to support the coat drive program. The process is simple: Drop off your extra coats on Saturday, Nov. 12, between 12:30 and 4:30 p.m. at Maplecrest Ford-Lincoln, 2800 Springfield Ave. in Vauxhall, and Miss New Jersey Pre-Teen takes care of the rest. All donated coats will be given to a local agency for distribution to local children and adults in need. You can also contibute by visiting www.onewarmcoat.org/donate.

“My goal is to collect 200 coats and as many dollars as possible during my coat drive. I’m really trying to make a difference in my community before I leave for the National Pageant later in November,” Nyla, who won her title in August, said.

“For more than 20 years we have been working to provide a warm coat to anyone who needs one. We are so thankful for our many coat drive ambassadors, like Nyla, who volunteer their time, resources and energy to help their neighbors in need. Together, we can reach our goal of warming one million people each winter, one community at a time,” Jennifer Stockard, president and CEO of One Warm Coat, said.