Coat drives near Hagerstown
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 Hagerstown 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.
Children In Need, Inc.
- Address: 131 W. North Avenue, Hagerstown, MD 21740
Frederick Rescue Mission
- Address: 419 West South Street, Frederick, MD 21701
Helping Our Heroes
- Address: 7014 Allington Manor Circle East, Frederick, MD 21703-2837
Adams County Shelter-Homeless
- Address: 153 N Stratton St, Gettysburg, PA 17325
Dr. Paul Bowersox
- Address: 206 Pennsylvania Avenue, Westminster, MD 21157
The Winchester Rescue Mission
- Address: 435 N Cameron St, Winchester, VA 22601-4845
Tabula Rasa Domestic Violence Relocation
- Address: 13017 Wisteria Drive, 192, Germantown, MD 20874-2621
Captain James E. Daly, Jr ES
- Address: 20301 Brandermill Dr, Germantown, MD 20876
Clopper Mill Elementary School
- Address: 18501 Cinnamon Dr, Germantown, MD 20874
Stedwick Elementary School
- Address: 10631 Stedwick Road, Montgomery Village, MD 20886
Watkins Mill Elementary School
- Address: 19001 Watkins Mill Rd, Montgomery Village, MD 20886
South Lake Elementary School
- Address: 18201 Contour Rd., Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Washington Grove Elementary
- Address: 8712 Oakmont St, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
FINRA
- Address: 9509 Key West Avenue, Gira Building, Rockville, MD 20850
Twinbrook Elementary School
- Address: 5911 Ridgway Ave, Rockville, MD 20851
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 395 metros.
