Coat drives near San Luis Obispo

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 San Luis Obispo 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.

Rescue Mission Alliance Central Coast
- Address: 1207 N Mcclelland St, Santa Maria, CA 93454

Soledad Police Department
- Address: 236 Main St, Soledad, CA 93960

The Village
- Address: 234 Baker St Ste 6, Bakersfield, CA 93305

East Bakersfield High School
- Address: 2200 Quincy Dr, Bakersfield, CA 93306

The Mission at Kern County
- Address: Po Box 2222, Bakersfield, CA 93303

FWJS
- Address: 30 Soledad St, Salinas, CA 93902

Cindy Kleinkopf State Farm
- Address: 139 Crossroads Blvd. Carmel, CA 93923

Ventura County Rescue Mission
- Address: 315 North A Street, Oxnard, CA 93030

Ventura County Office of Education
- Address: 5189 Verdugo Way, Camarillo, CA 93012

J.Crew The Oaks #704
- Address: 452 W. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91360

Monarch Services
- Address: 233 E Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA 95076

PitStop Outreach
- Address: Po Box 131, Gilroy, CA 95021

Westlake Elementary
- Address: 1571 E Potrero Road, Westlake Village, CA 91361

Calvary Chapel Capitola
- Address: 4575 Capitola Rd, Capitola, CA 95010

Gabriela Ruvalcaba State Farm Agency
- Address: 17770 Monterey Rd, ste. D, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 395 metros.