There's a rap In the 1984 film Beat Street, a classic about the working-class roots of hip-hop, that's been burned in my memory since I first saw the movie when I was nine years old: "Me and my brothers can't go out at the same time, 'cuz a coat that's theirs is a coat that's mine."

When the economy tanks, so does giving. People hold on to what they have. That's natural. But the flip-side is that more people are in need, too, and efforts like coat drives are in higher demand than normal.

Such is the case this year with New York Cares, which extended its drive until the end of the day tomorrow in order to (hopefully) meet the needs of non-profits that have asked for donations. Because fewer people have given up their old coats, the needs aren't being met.

If you live in New York, you can donate your coats between 7:30 and 9:30am tomorrow at:

• New York Penn Station, on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) level, 34th Street entrance corridor.
• Grand Central Terminal (Graybar Passage).
• The Pond At Bryant Park, 42nd Street and 6th Avenue, at anytime during rink hours.

And until January 16th, groups and individuals can deliver coats directly to the New York Cares Coat Drive warehouse at 250 Hudson Street, 6th Floor.