Boston Launches Winter Coat Drive for Homeless Residents
Local businesses and community groups can host their own drives and deliver coats to the Woods Mullen Shelter through early February 2027.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Philanthropy
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The Boston Public Health Commission and Friends of Boston's Homeless have launched a winter coat drive for people experiencing homelessness, running through early February 2027. Donations can be made through an Amazon Wishlist or delivered to the Woods Mullen Shelter, which matters for local businesses and community groups that want to host their own drives.
Why it matters
Winter weather poses severe health risks to the unhoused population, raising the threat of hypothermia and other cold-related illnesses. The drive is an annual effort, with the joint coat collection gathering approximately 400 coats each year for four years.
The joint coat drive has gathered approximately 400 coats per year for four years, while the BPHC Homeless Services Bureau assists nearly 5,000 people annually. The Table of Friends Thanksgiving Feast has run for 30 years and serves approximately 1,000 people each year at TD Garden.
The players
Boston Public Health Commission
The city agency that oversees public health programs in Boston, including its Homeless Services Bureau, which assists nearly 5,000 people annually.
Friends of Boston's Homeless
A Boston-based nonprofit that partners with the city on services for people experiencing homelessness, including the annual coat drive and Thanksgiving meals.
The details
Residents and businesses can purchase coats through an Amazon Wishlist or deliver new large donations to the Woods Mullen Shelter. Drop-offs are accepted at 794 Massachusetts Ave. on Thursdays from noon to 2:30 p.m. Community organizations and businesses can also host independent drives and deliver items to the shelter, extending the reach of the city-coordinated effort.
Timeline
Nov. 2, 2026: City announces the winter coat drive as temperatures begin to drop.
Thursdays, noon to 2:30 p.m.: Coat drop-offs accepted at 794 Massachusetts Ave. through early February 2027.
Early February 2027: Winter coat drive scheduled to end.
Market Landscape
The drive continues a recurring partnership model in which a city health agency and a nonprofit pool resources for seasonal relief. Its four-year pattern of roughly 400 coats per year gives local businesses a consistent, predictable target for corporate or employee giving.
Businesses and employers can host their own coat drives and deliver items to the Woods Mullen Shelter, a practical employee-engagement option for the winter season. Operators planning donation budgets should note that the drive runs through early February 2027.
The takeaway
Community organizations and businesses that want to contribute can host independent drives and deliver new coats to the Woods Mullen Shelter before the drive closes in early February 2027. Coordinating a collection through a Thursday drop-off window at 794 Massachusetts Ave. is a simple, low-cost way to fit a seasonal giving program into an existing schedule.
What happens next
The coat drop-off window closes in early February 2027, when the winter coat drive is scheduled to end.
Further reading
For more on how charitable giving supports local services, see Philanthropy coverage across Boston.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Masslive.
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