Donate coats, hats, gloves to refugees new to snowy Syracuse

By Michelle Breidenbach on November 13, 2014 at 3:53 PM

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - As the first snowflakes of the season fall on Syracuse, NYS Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida, has started a coat and blanket drive for refugee families from warm climates.

Bring new or gently used, washable coats, hats, gloves and blankets to the lobby of the State Office Building, 333 E. Washington St. in Syracuse through Friday, Dec. 5.

All coat sizes are needed, starting with toddlers.

The drive is a partnership with the Interfaith Works' Refugee Resettlement Program at the Center for New Americans.

Refugees from some 38 countries have settled in Syracuse, starting with Vietnamese refugees in 1979. Most have come from Burma, Bhutan and Somalia, according to a report from the Onondaga Citizens League.

For more information, e-mail or call Valesky's office at 478-8745.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/11/donate_coats_hats_gloves_to_refugees_new_to_snowy_syracuse.html