Coat drives near Las Cruces

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 Las Cruces 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.

Banfi Wines at Republic National Distributing Company El Paso
- Address: 35 Celerity Wagon Street, El Paso, TX 79906

Apple Moving
- Address: 1111 Vista De Oro Dr, El Paso, TX 79935

Barcelona Elementary School
- Address: 2311 Barcelona Rd Sw, Albuquerque, NM 87105

Thoreau Navajo Outreach Inc.
- Address: 31 First Ave. Box 547, Thoreau, NM 87323

Old Pueblo Community Services
- Address: 4501 E 5Th Street, Tucson, AZ 85711

Levi's Store La Encantada Mall
- Address: 2905 east skyline drive, suite 277, Tucson, AZ 85719

Borderlands Produce Rescue
- Address: 270 W Produce Row, Nogales, AZ 85621

Community In Schools of The Permian Basin
- Address: 9301 W 16th St, Odessa, TX 79763

MOD Pizza
- Address: 1804 S. Signal Butte #105, Mesa, Az 85206

Ben Kinney Team Phoenix
- Address: 365 E Germann Rd #201, Gilbert AZ, 85297

Grace Campus
- Address: 1301 Avenue A, Lubbock, TX 79453

Banfi Wines at Republic National Distributing Company Lubbock
- Address: 507 Lubbock Business Park Boulevard, Lubbock, TX 79403

Ben Kinney Team Phoenix
- Address: 3920 S Rural Rd #110, Tempe, AZ 85282

Duffy Clan Veteran Committee
- Address: Po Box 163, Keams Canyon, AZ 86034

Ben Kinney Team Phoenix
- Address: 7047 E Greenway Pkwy #190, Scottsdale, AZ 85254

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 395 metros.