BOSTON — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, the Boston Public Health Commission and the nonprofit Friends of Boston's Homeless launched the city's annual winter coat drive for homeless residents Monday, asking people and businesses to donate new coats through early February 2027.

New coats can be bought through an Amazon wish list or bought and shipped to the commission's Woods Mullen Shelter, the city said. Large donations of new coats can also be dropped off at the shelter. Details are posted on the city's homeless services web page.

The city said it is also encouraging community groups and businesses to organize their own coat drives and deliver the coats to the shelter. Officials said a warm coat can help protect people from freezing temperatures and lower the risk of hypothermia and other cold-related illnesses.

The commission and Friends of Boston's Homeless have run winter coat drives for the past four years, collecting about 400 coats each year for shelter residents, according to the city. The commission's Homeless Services Bureau serves nearly 5,000 people a year through emergency shelter and transitional programs, the city said.

"As we look ahead to another winter, a new coat is a simple but meaningful gift that can help someone stay warm, safe, and comfortable," said Carrie Coughlin, executive director of Friends of Boston's Homeless, which she said has worked with the bureau for 40 years.

The two organizations also serve Thanksgiving meals at the Woods Mullen women's shelter and the Southampton men's shelter. The annual Table of Friends Thanksgiving Feast at TD Garden has served about 1,000 people a year for more than 30 years, the city said.

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