Giving the Gift of Warmth in Cobb County

Donate jackets and winter wear to Police Department coat drive

Cobb County Police Department's Community Affairs Unit staff is excited to announce its first annual coat drive: "Giving the Gift of Warmth." Help us ensure everyone in our community enjoys warmth during the upcoming winter season. We need your support to make this project a success by donating gently-used coats and other winter wear (scarves, hats, and gloves) to children and families in need. Your donated items will be shared with numerous organizations throughout Cobb County.

Donations can be dropped off at any of the below locations through Friday, Dec. 1:

Precinct 1: 2380 Cobb Parkway, Kennesaw
Precinct 2: 4700 Austell Road, Austell
Precinct 3: 1901 Cumberland Parkway, Atlanta
Precinct 4: 4400 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta
Precinct 5: 4640 Dallas Highway, Powder Springs
Headquarters: 140 North Marietta Parkway, Marietta

The best times to drop off at the precincts and headquarters are between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding county holidays). If you are unable to make a drop-off donation, please call Sgt. Jeff Tatroe (Community Affairs Unit supervisor) at 770-499-3981 or email him at jeff.tatroe@cobbcounty.org for a scheduled pick-up. 

Identify and Eliminate Vampire Appliances

Some of your electronic devices at home drain energy even when they are turned off, but still plugged into an outlet. The average U.S. home spends about $100 per year to power devices while they are off or in standby mode. Here are some tips to help you identify and eliminate the energy-sucking appliances in your home.

Interesting facts about vampire appliances:

• The average home has about 40 vampire energy electronics. 
• Standby power can account for about 20 percent on your energy bill. 
• Powering devices while they are off or in standby mode can cost you about $100 per year. 

Vampire Appliances in your home:

• Televisions 
• Cable or satellite boxes 
• Game consoles
• DVD, DVR or VCR players 
• Computers
• Devices that turn on automatically with a remote control 
• Chargers (such as your cell phone or camera chargers)
• Printers
• Standby coffee makers
• Electronics with a standby light or clock 

Tips to help you eliminate vampire appliances:

• Unplug your devices - If you have an extra TV or desktop computer you don’t use often, unplug it until you need to use them. 
• Use a power strip - Power strips allow the convenience of powering devices on and off so that they’re not consuming power when you’re not around. 
• Smart Upgrades - ENERGY STAR appliances have a lower standby consumption and use less energy than a general appliance.