A grassroots volunteer effort that began with a carload of spring cleaning donations has grown into a community-wide drive aiming to collect 1,000 winter coats for Santa Monica College students facing basic needs challenges.
The volunteer-run winter coat drive, now in its fourth year, will hold its main collection event Saturday, Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Compass Realty, 2115 Main Street, Santa Monica. Organizers say they have collected about 600 coats to date and need a final push to reach their goal before SMC's annual Giving Thanks(giving) event.
The initiative started in March 2022 when a group of retired educators looked for a meaningful way to donate gently used clothing directly to students. One call to Shari Davis, co-director of the SMC Public Policy Institute, connected them to the college's Basic Needs Program and its on-campus pantry, the Bodega.
"We asked, what does the college need to support the hundreds of students coming weekly to the Bodega," the organizers said in describing their early efforts. "The college was doing an extraordinary job with groceries, prepared foods, and counseling. Housing was too big for us to address. That left amplifying the clothes."
What began as donations from friends and family has expanded to include partnerships with real estate agencies, consignment shops and community organizations. The Closet Trading Company now provides two pickup loads per month of clothing from its consignment stores. Compass Realty and Coldwell Banker Realty have organized donation drives among their agents, and the Palisades Newcomers Group has coordinated multiple drop-off events.
The Basic Needs Program serves approximately 1,500 SMC students per week, though specific data on clothing rack usage is not tracked. At last year's Giving Thanks(giving) event, attended by nearly 2,400 students, all donated coats and jackets were claimed midway through the three-day event, with students limited to one garment each.
The volunteer effort centers on Bodega Rack, a separate program offering curated, gently used clothing that students can wear to class, job interviews or simply to stay warm. The small core group of organizers—Janie Gates, Joan Saffa and Jane Zinner—committed to keeping the clothing racks filled year-round.
"The student response is equally moving," organizers said, recalling a young woman who, after selecting a perfect jacket, asked if she could donate the one she had been wearing for someone else to take.
Scaling the operation has presented challenges. The volume of weekly donations requires dedicated sorting space, and organizers must ensure all items are clean and ready to hang on racks. Shoes cannot be accepted due to space limitations. The group even had to decline ongoing donations from a Closet Trading Company location in Oxnard because the drive was too far.
Gary Limjap at Coldwell Banker Realty joined the effort in 2024 after a single request, canvassing fellow realtors, organizing donation barrels and purchasing new clothing items. His Montana Avenue location at 1608 Montana Ave. is accepting coat donations weekdays through Nov. 19.
Diane Dorin of Compass Realty has been a supporter since 2022, when organizers identified real estate agents as professionals whose stylish wardrobes would appeal to students. She is hosting this year's main drop-off event.
Other participating locations with donation barrels include Sea Colony II and III, Nicol Hair Salon, BOCA in the Palisades and LAYA on Montana Avenue. Janet Rotner, chair of the Palisades Newcomers Group Community Outreach Committee, expanded the drive's reach in 2024.
"This community has a deep respect for education and immediately connected with the belief that no one should have to choose between meeting basic needs and getting an education," organizers said.
Additional volunteers supporting the effort include Tam Taylor, Denise Mangimelli, Witney Tuker and more than 75 individual donors from communities ranging from the Palisades to Manhattan Beach.
The winter coats and jackets will be distributed at SMC's Giving Thanks(giving) event, now in its ninth year, which provides students with food, clothing and other essential resources during the holiday season.