Coat drives near Atlantic City
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 Atlantic City 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.
UNTO Ministries
- Address: 26 Georgia Trl, Medford, NJ 08055
Your Grandmother's Cupboard
- Address: 173A Route 37 West, TOMS RIVER, NJ 8755
SetFree Outreach
- Address: 136 Broadway, Apt B, Laurel Springs, NJ 08021
Angels Community Outreach
- Address: 334 S Broadway, Pitman, NJ 8071
6000 Sagemore Drive
- Address: Suite 6301, Marlton, NJ 08053
Bahama Breeze
- Address: 2000 Route 38, Suite 1170, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
Threads For Success
- Address: 301 1St Avenue, Barrington, NJ 08007
New Beginnings Behavorial Health
- Address: 42 Crooked Lane, CHERRY HILL, NJ 08034
J.Crew Cherry Hill Mall #745
- Address: 2000 Route 38 Space #1715, Cherry Hill, NJ, 08002
Macedonia Baptist Church
- Address: 351 High Street, Westville, NJ 08093
Nehemiah Group
- Address: 1300 Princess Ave, Camden, NJ 08103
New Beginnings Behavioral Health
- Address: 1300 Dr. Mustapha Khan Way, Camden, NJ 08103
First Baptist Church of Swedesboro
- Address: 700 Auburn Ave, Swedesboro, NJ 08085
United Communities Southeast Philadelphia
- Address: 2029 S 8Th St, Philadelphia, PA 19148
SEAMAAC
- Address: 1902 S 8Th St, Philadelphia, PA 19148
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 395 metros.