Meet the founder who’s creating warm coats – and big opportunities – for Detroit’s homeless

People call her the “Coat Lady.” And it’s a badge Veronika Scott wears with honor. She’s the founder and CEO of The Empowerment Plan, a Detroit nonprofit that helps people break out of the generational cycle of homelessness by providing them with training and employment. What does any of this have to do with coats? Well, it’s where Scott’s story begins.

In 2010, as an undergrad at Detroit’s College for Creative Studies, Scott received a class assignment that went on to change her life – and the lives of countless others in the Motor City. The project called on students to design a product that filled a tangible need in the community. The then-21-year-old junior immediately gravitated toward helping the homeless.

It’s an issue that is “deeply personal,” she says, having grown up in poverty. Her parents also struggled with unemployment and drug addiction. “I remember … people just looked at you as if you’re worthless by extension, as if you’re doomed to repeat the same life,” Scott explains. “You feel like you’re digging yourself out of a hole as a child ... it’s so damaging.”

Scott set out to deepen her understanding of what might help the local homeless population and found herself at a nearby warming center, where individuals living on the streets could go to escape the bone-chilling Michigan winters. It’s where she first conceived the idea for the EMPWR coat – and where she gained the aforementioned nickname. Designed to withstand brutally cold temperatures, the insulated hybrid jacket is not only durable and water-resistant, it transforms into a sleeping bag, too. When not in use, the garment rolls up neatly into an over-the-shoulder bag for easy transport.

Scott had been testing prototype coats at the same warming center for several months, long after the class project had ended, when one of the regulars there confronted her angrily. She recalls the woman snapping, “Look, what you’re doing is pointless. I don’t need a jacket – I need a job!” The encounter opened the college student’s eyes to the bigger picture.

“When she said that, I was like, you’re absolutely right,” Scott says. “The coat on its own serves an immediate need. But what would really have the impact is hiring the people who would need it in the first place. And that was kind of the first step.”

Today, The Empowerment Plan focuses on employing homeless parents living in shelters, and training them to manufacture the EMPWR coat – over 30,000 coats have been distributed to people in need across the country. The company also partners with other groups to offer supplemental programming such as GED courses, financial literacy classes and professional development workshops. Earning a steady income has allowed each one of the organization’s more than 65 hires so far to move from the shelter and into permanent housing within six weeks of starting work. Not one person has fallen back into homelessness since.

“That’s the thing we’re so proud of, and the coats are a huge vehicle for us to make that possible,” remarks Scott, who envisions expanding the program to other cities one day.

For now, though, the goal is to continue making a difference at home in Detroit. The organization hopes to hire hundreds of people over the next few years, grow the line of coats and possibly develop other products. And while Scott’s original vision has evolved into much more than a coat, the “Coat Lady” moniker has nevertheless stuck.

“It’s really funny. I’ll talk to somebody and they’re like, ‘You’re the Coat Lady, right?’” she says. “I’m like, ‘Yes! I’m totally the Coat Lady ... I’m very proud of my nickname.”

Scott explains why The Empowerment Plan focuses on hiring homeless parents

Homelessness, by the numbers

In the United States

In Detroit

The Empowerment Plan

Disrupting the cycle of poverty

Click along the path to learn how The Empowerment Plan sets up its employees for financial independence.

Finding success on the other side

Meet three formerly homeless individuals whose lives have been transformed by The Empowerment Plan

How can we support the homeless population in our own communities?

1 Be kind, always

There are myriad reasons why a person might be homeless. In fact, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, most households become homeless simply because they can’t afford housing. So, if you encounter someone who has fallen on hard times or is living in a shelter, show them the same respect you’d show anyone else, advises Scott. It can be as simple as acknowledging them. “Connecting with somebody, treating anybody who’s on the street or who’s displaced with dignity, and treating people like humans and not part of the landscape, is a big thing,” she says.

2 Take a chance

If you’re in a position to hire and there are opportunities for work, post them at the local shelter. Or better yet, host a job fair there, says Scott. “There are a lot of really strong, motivated potential employees in these shelters who are just stuck,” she adds. “Take a chance on someone.” Or, if you’re able to assist with supportive services such as interview coaching or resume writing, by all means, share your skills.

3 Treat someone to some self-care

We often take for granted small things such as getting a fresh haircut or a relaxing mani-pedi, but it really can boost a person’s mood. So, Scott suggests organizing a self-care event for people staying at a local shelter. “Being able to have clean socks or your nails done or your hair done – these things that make you feel so much better and more positive about yourself; those things are also great ways to get involved,” she says.

4 Spread the warmth

If you can spare it, you can sponsor an EMPWR coat for someone in need for a donation of $125 (plus shipping). The amount covers the cost of labor, materials and overhead expenses to produce the jacket. The Empowerment Plan will then donate the coat to someone in need through the nonprofit’s partnerships with shelters and organizations. Or, you can sponsor a coat for a specific person in need. Learn more at empowermentplan.org.