Paul Avila, left, hugs his blind and autistic son, Pauly, outside a mural depicting the Skid Row city limit sign. Pauly is the inspiration and namesake of Avila's charity, Pauly's Project, which helps people experiencing homeless with food, clothing and other necessities in Downtown Los Angeles and Skid Row. Image courtesy Pauly's Project.

California winters, as mild as the rest of the world might deem them to be, are still a challenging season for those who don’t have a roof over their head.

Hoping to help keep people bundled with winter essentials is the Los Angeles-based, non-profit Pauly’s Project that recently teamed up with local family-owned dry cleaning chain, National Cleaners & Laundry. The business will have bins outside two of their storefronts, one near Signal Hill (3304 Cherry Ave), the other in North Long Beach (6620 Cherry Ave), accepting winter coat/jacket donations through the end of the month.

“The more [coats] the merrier,” Paul Avila, founder of Pauly’s Project, said.

During the chilly months, winter coats are typically the most sought-after type of clothing donation because of their utility, Avila said. They’re also the most expensive type of clothing purchase, which means demand is high, but stock is low. So, when Dora Quinones, the daughter of the family-owned dry cleaning chain, reached out to Avila with an idea for a coat drive, he was appreciative. In her Instagram message to Avila, Quinones explained that in years past, the family would host a holiday coat drive—their way of paying it forward each year—but always gave to more prominent organizations such as Salvation Army or Goodwill.

“But this year, we’d like to donate them to Pauly’s Project, so they could be used by those who truly need them,” she wrote.

Avila said he felt especially honored by their generosity since the businesses have been struggling through the pandemic as people continue to work from home, taking the necessity out of formal business attire, and the need for specialty cleaning.

For those who may not be familiar with Avila and Pauly’s Project, it’s 501(c)(3)charity organization named after Avila’s 23-year-old blind and autistic son, Pauly, who found joy and comfort in listening to music. In the early days of his outreach, Avila would give out radio headsets to people living in downtown Los Angeles and Skid Row, hoping music might bring them some of the joy and peace it had for his son.

Seeing first-hand the needs of those on Skid Row inspired him to keep giving. Nine years later, Pauly’s Project has expanded, donating food, clothing and other necessities to downtown LA’s unhoused, with a focus on reaching encampments a few miles out of Skid Row, “outskirts” as Avila calls it, places that often get overlooked.

“Skid Row is kind of a hub, so a lot of organizations go there,” Avila said. “But for these people, it’s too far to walk to go to Skid Row, and Skid Row is a dangerous place. A lot of them don’t even want to go there.”

Every first and third Sunday of the month, Avila and his team meet at a Farmer Boys on Alameda Street to stock their caravan of 10 to 15 cars full with hot food, clothing, blankets, shoes, hygiene kits and whatever other donations they receive. They drive around, stopping by various encampments, down backstreets, alleyways and under freeway overpasses until stock runs out.

“It’s definitely my passion. The fact that I do it in honor of my son makes it a little more meaningful,” Avila said. “It’s also very personal to me. I had an uncle who was homeless. So at a young age, my mom would be down there and we’d give my uncle supplies in Skid Row. So I think that kind of planted the seed in my heart.”

To donate a coat to National Cleaners & Laundry, drop off a new or used coat to either of the two locations accepting donations. National Cleaners & Laundry business hours vary, so they request you call ahead to notify them of a drop-off ahead of time. You can reach their Signal Hill location on 3304 Cherry Ave by calling: 562-595-7093. To reach their North Long Beach store at 6620 Cherry Ave call: 562-529-7590.

Pauly’s Project is also accepting other donations such as food, blankets, shoes, and winter clothing (think socks, gloves, beanies etc.) For more information or donate, click here.