How a winter walk sparked a 12 year charity drive for coats for the homeless and vulnerable

It was a simple idea during a neighbourhood walk that sparked a Brighton woman’s 12-year charity drive to help the vulnerable and homeless during winter.

Toni Joel started Off Your Back coat drive 12 years ago.

The idea of taking the coat off your back and giving it to a stranger in need is a noble idea, yet one woman has taken the well-known saying and turned it into a decade-long cause.

Toni Joel said a walk around her neighbourhood on a freezing cold night 12 years ago sparked the idea for a coat drive.

“I had the impetuous to take the coat off my back and give it to this man on a park bench,” Ms Joel said.

The Brighton woman thought back to the coats she and her family had in their wardrobes going unused and Off Your Back — an Elsternwick-based charity that collects preloved coats for people in need — was born.

“It’s a simple and pure idea,” she said.

“It’s putting coats into the hands of those who need it.”

Ms Joel was inundated with 6500 preloved coats in Off Your Back’s first year.

Since then the charity has received about 70,000 coats to pass on to people in need at soup kitchens, church groups and crisis centres across Victoria.

“I dreamt big and hoped for 1000 in the first year (so the response) was pretty amazing,” she said.

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“People pass (their preloved coats) off with real love. It really touches people’s hearts.

“The coat you don’t want, I want to give it to someone who needs it.”

You can donate a preloved coat at these drop-off points until August 31:

Port Phillip/Bayside

Salvation Army, 1st floor 69 Burke St Melbourne

Tonic, 6 Home St Elsternwick

Stonnington

818 Dental, 818 High St Armadale

Kingston

Nichols Crowder 358 South Rd Moorabbin

Details: offyourback.com.au

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