Coat drives near Punta Gorda
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 Punta Gorda 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.
Kiwanis Club of North Port, Inc.
- Address: P. O. Box 7222, North Port, FL 34291
Fort Myers Rescue Mission
- Address: 6900 Mission Ln, Fort Myers, FL 33916
RCMA South Highlands CDC
- Address: 135 Curve St, Lake Placid, FL 33852
Turning Points
- Address: 701 17Th Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205
Undersherperds Undershepherds
- Address: 2710 Saint Cloud Oaks Dr, Valrico, FL 33594
Metropolitan Ministries
- Address: 2002 N. Florida Ave, Tampa, Fl 33602
Lighthouse Ministries
- Address: 215 E. Magnolia St, Lakeland, FL 33810
NUEVO COMIENZO CHURCH
- Address: 3511 Bonaire Blvd # 242, KISSIMMEE, FL 34741
J.Crew Mall at Millenia #688
- Address: 4200 Conroy Road Space #G-175, Orlando, FL, 32839
Orlando Union Rescue Mission
- Address: 1521 West Washington Street, Orlando, FL 32805
Catholic Charities of Central Florida
- Address: 207 White Street, Orlando, FL 32807
The Salvation Army - Palm Beach County
- Address: 2100 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33409
J.Crew Boca Town Center #541
- Address: 6000 Glades Road Suite 1139, Boca Raton, FL, 33431
FINRA
- Address: Boca Center Tower 1, 5200 Town Center Circle, Suite 200, Boca Raton, FL 33486
Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County
- Address: 345 S Congress Ave, Delray Beach, FL 33445
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 395 metros.
