Coat drives near Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz 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.

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

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

Melissa Alaniz Coat Drive
- Address: 5121 Union Avenue, San Jose, CA 95124

Rosa Hellen Real Estate Coat Drive
- Address: 656 Louise Ct, Campbell, CA 95008

Westca Gym Coat Drive
- Address: 30 N. Third Street, San Jose, CA 95112

Daybreak Real Estate Brokerage
- Address: 1999 S. Bascom Ave, Suite 700, Campbell, CA 95008

Campbells Premier Physical Therapy
- Address: 163 E Hamilton Ave, Campbell, CA 95008

Coldwell Banker
- Address: 1712 Meridian Ave., San Jose, CA 95125

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

Bittner Family Dental Group
- Address: 890 Saratoga Ave, San Jose, Ca 95129

Migrant Education Program Region 1
- Address: 3550 Snell Ave, San Jose, CA 95136

Stratford Preparatory Blackford
- Address: 3800 Blackford Ave, San Jose, CA 95117

Peninsulators Inc.
- Address: 360 Piercy Road, San Jose, CA 95138

Compass Real Estate
- Address: 1133 Minnesota Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125

St. Andrew's Residential Programs for Youth Inc.
- Address: 811 Sherman Oaks Dr, San Jose, CA 95128

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