Petaluma Warm Coat Drive 2026: Donate Coats for Foster Youth
For the past 20 years, one of my favorite fall traditions has been collecting warm coats for people in our community who need them.
It all started when I was a Girl Scout leader. We organized a coat drive as a way for the girls to give back, and even after my Girl Scout days ended, I just couldn’t let the tradition go, so I kept doing it.
Twenty years later, the Warm Coat Drive is still going strong, and this year there is an especially great need.
Petaluma Coat Drive for Children and Young Adults in Foster Care
The coats collected this year will be given to children and young adults in the foster care system.
When we think about foster care, it can be easy to picture only young children. But foster youth come in every age and every size, which is why we are looking for coats of all sizes, from little children’s coats through adult sizes.
Every donation can make a difference.
What Types of Coats Can I Donate?
We are accepting both new and used coats through October 31, 2026.
And please don’t worry if a used coat isn’t perfect.
Donated coats will be washed, and repairs will be made if needed. A coat that has been well-loved can still be incredibly useful to someone who needs it.
If you have a coat in your closet that your child has outgrown, one that no longer fits, or simply one that you don’t wear anymore, this is a wonderful opportunity to give it a new home.
A coat sitting unused in one closet could provide warmth and comfort to someone who truly needs it this winter.
Where Can I Donate Coats in Petaluma?
I want to make donating as easy as possible.
Coats can be dropped off at:
Compass, 121 4th Street in Petaluma
If getting to Compass isn’t convenient, please don’t let that stop you from donating.
Call or text me at 707-974-4043, and I will happily arrange to come pick up your coats.
20 Years of Petaluma Community Helping Community
One of the things I have loved most about doing this coat drive year after year is seeing how people respond when they hear there is a need.
Someone cleans out a hall closet.
A family brings in the coats their children have outgrown.
A neighbor tells another neighbor.
One donation becomes five, and five become twenty.
That is how community works.
What started as a Girl Scout service project 20 years ago has grown into a tradition that means a great deal to me, and I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has donated over the years.
This October, I hope we can collect more coats than ever.
Every size matters.
Every coat matters.
And every donation can help a child or young adult feel a little warmer and a little more cared for this winter.
Together, we can pass along a little warmth.