Twenty Two Years Of Keeping Communities Warm

In the year 2000, twenty-two years ago, a young man, riding a bike in Manhattan, dressed only in short sleeves, delivered lunch to me and my staff in January in the freezing cold. I took a look at him and became so distressed to see him go out again, that I turned to my staff and said “…That’s it! Turn to our clients and friends; we are conducting a coat drive.”

Within two weeks, coats were coming to us. The same young gentleman came another day in the same short sleeves. I asked him to go upstairs with my assistant. He was apprehensive at first, but when he came down wearing a down jacket, the look on his face made me know that I would be conducting this coat drive for many years.

From a mere 186 coats the first year, we have been able to collect close to 1,000 coats per year, especially in the last few years.

It was something very natural and organic to navigate the coat drive out to the East End as well. Many folks knew of the drive already, others embraced it once they heard of it, and many people were desperately in need of a helping hand. The pandemic, in some ways, made strangers of us. But in some ways, it bound us together as never before. The response was overwhelming.

Our supporters on The South Fork, Hamptons Risk Management in Bridgehampton-Dermot Dolan and Michael Amoia-my insurance brokers-stepped up to the plate immediately. On The North Fork, Epic Nail Salon and YS East End Cleaners in Cutchogue seized the opportunity to help and spread the word. Each of these supporters accepted donations for us. In New York City, our supporters for over 20 years-Francis Cuttita at Cuttita Law and Marge Duffy at Peter Duffy Furs stood firm-no one disappointed us.

Edifyingly, I received a call one day from a woman, Kate Carpluk from Town & Country Real Estate. She had collected over ten bags of clothing and had no one to give them to. Kate delivered them to me- re-emphasizing my mantra “You Get by Giving!” We were so grateful! Teamwork is dream work!

Because of the generosity of so many people, we collected over 800 coats this year… our twenty-second year. Although it was a little less than usual, before the pandemic, we are so thrilled that our first introduction for help Out East was so well received. 

The donations were given to Heart of The Hamptons in Southampton-spearheaded by a wonderful woman named Molly Bishop. The pantry offers clothing to those in need on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 AM to noon. The racks were empty each time with record speed. It was so heart-rending to witness. Next year, we will definitely begin again from Manhattan to the East End and watch the effort grow. You can never do too much for those that need a helping hand. The look of delight on a person’s face can never be bought or replaced. 

“People don’t care about what you know, until they know you care.”

To learn more about Mary Anne Fusco, click here.

Mary Anne Fusco

A highly accomplished real estate veteran with over 22 years in residential sales, Mary Anne Fusco is among the top-producing brokers at Douglas Elliman. With extensive experience working in the New York City and East End markets, and offices in both Manhattan and Bridgehampton, her expertise truly does span from Manhattan to Montauk. A graduate of St. John's University, Mary Anne holds a B.A. in English as well as a Master's in English and Education from Adelphi University. She is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), Association of Real Estate Women (AREW), National Organization for Italian-American Women, and the Columbus Citizens Foundation. Mary Anne was most recently honored as a Woman of Valor by the Capuchin Food Pantries for her work for the less fortunate of NYC, and recognized in November 2011 by NY1 as "New Yorker of the Week" for her annual coat drive. To date, with the loyalty of her clients, she has collected over 11,000 coats for those in need.