For the first time since 2010, the poverty rate in America shot up dramatically in 2022, according to data from the Census Bureau. That means more Americans can't afford basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, and utilities than has been the case in more than a decade.
But the situation isn't just affecting Americans living in poverty. United Way uses the term ALICE to refer to the increasing number of people who are asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed but are still not able to afford their basic needs. In 2021, 13% of Americans earned below the federal poverty level but many more, 29%, fell under the ALICE umbrella, according to the grassroots movement United for ALICE.
A study published in August 2022 from Brandeis University found that more than 75% of low-income families working full-time cannot cover the cost of basic needs. What's more, fewer than 1 in 5 low-income Hispanic and Black families in particular are able to afford the costs of a household budget. "Full-time work alone isn't enough to cover the everyday essentials most families need to support themselves," the study's lead author, Pamela Joshi, who holds a doctorate in social policy, said in a statement.
If you're looking for ways to help, particularly as the temperatures drop and the holidays approach, consider cleaning out your closet and donating a coat to those in need. To help point you in the right direction, Stacker compiled a list of coat drives near Atlanta using data from One Warm Coat, a nonprofit that provides free coats to children and adults in need across America. Since 1992, they've given out more than 7.85 million coats.
"This is one very small way to take a step forward and do something very tangible," One Warm Coat CEO Beth Amodio told USA Today in October 2023. "It's impossible to change the world. But it is possible to change one person's experience, one person at a time."
Read on to find out where you can contribute.
Gateway Center
- Address: 275 Pryor St., SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
3Keys
- Address: 234 Memorial Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
Rice Ministries
- Address: PO Box 490875, Atlanta, GA 30349
Barred Business
- Address: 477 Windsor St, Suite 204 A, Atlanta, GA 30312
Barred Business
- Address: 477 Windsor Street, Atlanta, GA 30312
Communities In Schools of Atlanta
- Address: 101 Marietta Street, NW Suite 2800 Atlanta GA 30303, Atlanta, GA 30303
SafeHouse Outreach
- Address: 89 Ellis St nE, Atlanta, GA 30303
Crossroads Community Ministries
- Address: 420 Courtland st ne, Atlanta, GA 30308
Southside Medical Center
- Address: 1046 Ridge Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30315
Midtown Assistance Center
- Address: 613 Spring St NW, Atlanta, GA 30308
Atlanta's Children's Shelter
- Address: 607 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308
CHRIS 180
- Address: 1976 Flat Shoals Rd A, Atlanta, GA 30316
J.Crew - Ponce City Market
- Address: 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30308
Kera's Helping Hands
- Address: 542 Moreland Ave., Atlanta, GA 30316
Intown Cares
- Address: 1026 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306