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 Longview 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.
Destiny Outreach ♻️
- Address: 6003 Financial Plz, Shreveport, LA 71129
MOD Pizza: Terrell
- Address: 624 American Way, Terrell, TX 75160
MOD Pizza: Rockwall South
- Address: 2901 Ridge Road, Suite 100, Rockwall, TX 75032
MOD Pizza: Rockwall North
- Address: 1901 N Goliad St, Rockwall, TX 75087
Living Word Church of Mesquite
- Address: 2115 Bridger Drive, Mesquite, TX 75149
Sharing Life Community Outreach Inc.
- Address: 3795 W Emporium Circle Mesquite, Texas 75150, Mesquite, TX 75150
Brookdale Club Hill
- Address: 1245 Colonel Dr., Garland, TX 75043
MOD Pizza: Wylie
- Address: 3100 FM 544, Suite 101, Wylie, TX 75098
Dorcas Heart ♻️
- Address: 800 Bentwater Dr, Allen, TX 75002
Operation Care International
- Address: 10488 Brockwood, Dallas, TX 75238
Network of Community Ministries
- Address: 1500 International Pkwy Ste 300, Richardson, TX 75081
Rita June Foundation
- Address: 3324 Southern Oaks Blvd, Dallas, TX 75216
The Samaritan Inn
- Address: 1514 N. McDonald St., McKinney, TX 75071
Hope Restored Missions
- Address: 1947 K Ave Ste B100, Plano, TX 75074
MOD Pizza: Allen
- Address: 845 W Stacy RD A, Allen, TX 75013