Off The Cuff: Pamela Testoni

Oct. 18, 2019

Our CCRI faculty and staff are a diverse group with many fascinating hobbies and interests that keep them busy during their free time off campus. Welcome to Off the Cuff. Every other week, we'll profile a member of our CCRI family to find out what makes them tick. Hopefully, their stories inspire others and help us develop new connections and friendships with our CCRI colleagues.

As a retired school teacher now working part-time as a clerk in the Enrollment Services office at the Knight Campus for the past three years, Pamela Testoni brings a refreshing level of compassion to her office each day.

When she’s not busy working on transcripts for both incoming and transferring students, the East Greenwich, RI, native is donating her time to others, specifically each year in November as part of the annual Buy Nothing Day Winter Coat Exchange. The event is held the Friday after Thanksgiving – commonly known in the consumer world as “Black Friday” – at various sites throughout the state. Testoni and her daughter, Lauren, spearhead the collection each year on the front steps of the Rhode Island State House.

The annual event began in 1997 as the brainchild of activist Greg Garrett. They collected roughly 250 coats the first year. Since then, tens of thousands of jackets, gloves, winter hats and scarves are donated each year, and those who are less fortunate are encouraged to visit one of the collection sites to take home an item of need.

Testoni took time out of her busy schedule this week to chat with us about how she first got involved in the coat drive and what it means to her to be involved in such a worthwhile endeavor.

What initially motivated you to start volunteering your time outside of work?

I began volunteering for the Buy Nothing Day Winter Coat Exchange 15 years ago along with a teacher colleague. Once I volunteered, I was hooked, and many family members have since joined the effort. The concept of the coat drive is embedded in the international “Buy Nothing Day” movement that was started to draw attention to unnecessary consumerism, primarily on days such as “Black Friday.” Greg Garrett, a conservation activist, wanted to couple an awareness event with something that also benefited the community, thus the coat drive. When Greg announced he was ready to relinquish overseeing the event [in 2016], my daughter Lauren and I decided to take on the challenge. I also have volunteered with Special Olympics RI for many years and I’m currently part of the Summer Games committee as the organizer for the athlete dance.

What is the timeframe for putting together this event each year and how does it unfold the day of?

There are various drop off sites across the state as well as distribution spots on the day of the event. The “hub” of the day is located on the State House lawn in Providence. My family brings a U-Haul full of coats that we have collected during the months of October and November. Many other vans and cars pull up to the site throughout the morning to drop off coats as well. Mobs of wonderful volunteers hang each coat while people shop the racks from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. There are a few thousand coats distributed each year at just the Providence site. It would not be an exaggeration to say that between 5,000 to 10,000 coats are distributed across the state each year.

Through the years, what kind of connections have you developed with the people you meet at the event?

Some of the people who came to the event in the past because they needed a coat have actually gone on to become volunteers. They want to help others who have dealt with the same issues. We have a great crew of people who take a coat, but also stay with us and work the entire day. It’s amazing. I can count on them to be there every year.

Is it particularly rewarding knowing you are providing such a valuable service to so many people?

I have often said that the day after Thanksgiving is both the most rewarding day of the year but the most emotional as well. I am thrilled to be able to help those in need, but also saddened by the amount of people who get up early, often in the bitter cold, to line up in the hopes of getting a coat to get them through the winter.

How can others get involved?

We are always looking for volunteers, so if anyone is interested in helping in any way, they can visit www.ricoatexchange.org.

We would love to hear your story, too! Email us at [email protected] if you’d like to be featured in a future edition of “Off the Cuff” or want to nominate a co-worker.

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