Ocean State Job Lot Announces Return of ‘Buy, Give, Get’ Program

As the weather gets colder, bundling up in a winter coat is no doubt a necessity. But what happens when disadvantaged populations like U.S. veterans can’t afford warm outerwear? Ocean State Job Lot (OSJL), the region’s premier discount retail chain (including their location in Nanuet, New York) is pleased to announce the eighth annual return of its ‘Buy, Give, Get’ donation program—an initiative that results in veterans receiving new winter coats for free—now through January 3, 2024. During OSJIL’s ‘Buy, Give, Get’ program, any customer who buys a warm winter coat at the store for $40 and gives it back to the store as a donation to a veteran in need will get a $40 Crazy Deal Gift Card for free. This card can then be used for a future purchase online or at any OSJIL store.

Approximately 55,000 coats will be available for purchase, which will then be distributed to veteran support agencies such as the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and the VFW throughout the Northeast. According to Nanuet Store Team leader Kim Roland, the organizations are always grateful for the donation.

“The people from veteran organizations see (the coats) and are very excited that the company does this,” Roland said. “It’s a cause that’s very dear to our owners’ hearts, giving back to our veterans that are in need.”

David Sarlitto, Executive Director of Ocean State Job Lot’s Charitable Foundation, is glad to be able to implement the program and shared the story of a homeless Marine in Boston who reached out to OSJIL’s customer service department to see if he could get a coat through the ‘Buy, Give, Get’ program. The call was forwarded to Sarlitto, who arranged to personally give him a coat. When Sarlitto drove to Boston to meet the veteran, he was surprised to find that the man was missing his left arm. Knowing that a regular coat would not fit the man’s needs, Sarlitto went to a seamstress and asked for two custom coats with the left arm removed, using the extra fabric to make an adaptable carrying bag. When Sarlitto returned to the man to give him the new coats, they were delighted to find that the outerwear fit perfectly.

“There’s one of those stories every single year,” Sarlitto explained. “There are people in the woods, people in abandoned buildings…These stories reinforce that you’re doing the right thing, even though this shouldn’t be necessary. But you keep doing it.”

“Every year we look forward to this program coming in,” Roland said. “You feel really good about knowing what it does.”

Some restrictions apply for the redemption and use of the Crazy Deal Gift Card. For more information, visit https://www.oceanstatejoblot.com/crazy-deals-faq.