FAIRFAX, Va., Jan. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global humanitarian nonprofit Human Appeal has successfully concluded its first-ever U.S. Winter Coat Drive, collecting more than 2,000 winter coats and hundreds of additional essential items for families in need across the East Coast.
Spanning four states, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, the campaign brought together volunteers and five college Muslim Student Associations. Of the coats collected, more than 1,500 came from the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area, with an additional 600 coats collected from Greater Boston.
In addition to coats, volunteers also assembled 200 hygiene kits that will be distributed alongside coats in Baltimore City to support individuals experiencing housing insecurity during the winter months.
“This campaign showed what’s possible when communities come together with a shared purpose,” said Kareem Emara, Head of Programs at Human Appeal USA. “From youth volunteers to faith institutions and student leaders, the level of engagement and generosity we saw was incredibly inspiring.”
The Winter Coat Drive included two large volunteer sorting events. The first was held in Boston in partnership with Arkanum and brought together more than 40 youth volunteers. A second sorting day took place at the Islamic Society of Baltimore, where more than 30 volunteers worked together to organize donations for distribution. Human Appeal is planning multiple distributions in inner-city Baltimore and Baltimore County in the coming weeks.
The initiative also expanded beyond winter clothing. In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, Human Appeal hosted three food drives, resulting in more than 600 food boxes assembled and approximately 1,400 pounds of chicken collected for families facing food insecurity.
Modeled after Human Appeal’s long-running Wrap Up campaign in the United Kingdom, the U.S. Winter Coat Drive marked a significant milestone in the organization’s growing domestic humanitarian efforts.
“Providing warmth is about more than a coat. It is about dignity, compassion and showing people they are not forgotten,” Emara added. “Our motto is ‘Here for Every Human’ and this drive is just the beginning of our humanitarian work at home here in the U.S.”
About Human Appeal
Here for Every Human. Human Appeal is a non-profit organization working across the globe to strengthen humanity’s fight against poverty, social injustice and natural disaster. Through the provision of immediate relief and the establishment of self-sustaining development programs, we aim to save and transform lives.
For more information please visit: humanappealUSA.org, or contact: [email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c40c25a6-7eb6-4f24-a509-1c1b59274f51
