Coat drives near Peoria
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 Peoria 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.
Product of the Project
- Address: 2810 W Westport Rd, Peoria, IL 61615
Elsie's
- Address: 420 W. Main St, McNabb, IL 61335
Christian Care
- Address: 2209 3Rd Ave, Rock Island, IL 61204
RISE
- Address: 1627 Rock Creek Blvd, Joliet, Illinois 60431
Agape Community Outreach Mission
- Address: 196 S. Harrison Ave., Kankakee, IL 60901
International We Love U Foundation East Coast Region
- Address: 15104 S James St Plainfield Il60544, Plainfield, IL 60544
Hope and Divine Purpose Transitional Living Home, Inc
- Address: 103 Girard Blvd, Joliet, IL 60433
Family Focus - Aurora
- Address: 550 2Nd Ave, Aurora, IL 60505
Free Yourself Sisters In Christ
- Address: 2025 Fox Pointe Cir, Aurora, IL 60504
Anytime Fitness Lockport
- Address: 420 Summit Drive, Lockport, IL 46311
Bolingbrook Recreation & Aquatic Complex
- Address: 200 Lindsey Lane, Bolingbrook, IL 60440
Bolingbrook High School Indoor Concessions
- Address: 365 Raider Way, Bolingbrook, IL 60440
Fountaindale Library 300 W. Briarcliff Rd
- Address: Bolingbrook, IL 60440
Napolean & Ada Moton Chapman Institute
- Address: 559 Thomas Road, BOLINGBROOK, IL 60440
UMR Chicago Chapter
- Address: 10741 Crystal Creek Dr, Mokena, IL 60448
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 395 metros.