Coat drives near Lewiston, Maine
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 Lewiston 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.
Connors Elementary School, Lewiston Public Schools
- Address: 36 Oak St, Lewiston, ME 04240
Hope House Network
- Address: 91 College St., Lewiston, ME 04240
CrossWalk Community Outreach
- Address: P.O. Box 64, Naples, ME 04055
Evergreen Dental Associates
- Address: 281 Western Avenue, Augusta, ME 04330
Augusta Teen Center
- Address: 244 Water St, Augusta, ME 04330
LifeStance Portland
- Address: 11 Baxter Blvd., Second Floor, Portland, ME 04101,
FatFace Portland
- Address: 34 Exchange Street, Portland, ME 04101
LifeStance South Portland
- Address: 707 Sable Oaks Dr., Suite 230, South Portland, ME 04106
Cotopaxi Settlers Green
- Address: 2 Common Court Unit A18, North Conway, NH 03860
FatFace Kennebunkport
- Address: 16 Dock Square, Kennebunkport, ME 04046
York County Community Action
- Address: 6 Spruce St, Sanford, ME 04073
FatFace Camden
- Address: 10 Bay View Street, Camden, ME 04843
FatFace Portsmouth
- Address: 62 Congress Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801
LifeStance Portsmouth
- Address: 100 Eileen Dondero Foley Ave, Suite 302, Portsmouth, NH 03801
AHEAD: Affordable Housing Education and Development
- Address: 262 Cottage Street, Littleton, NH 03561
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 395 metros.
