Coat drives near Allentown

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 Allentown 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.

Youth & Teen Renovations
- Address: 401 W. Walnut St - Suite 7, Allentown, PA 18102

The Caring Place
- Address: 931 W Hamilton St Fl 1, Allentown, PA 18101

Allentown Rescue Mission
- Address: 355 Hamilton St, Allentown, PA 18101

Salon Lavale's
- Address: 118 N 5th Street, Reading, PA 19601

Opportunity House
- Address: 430 N 2Nd St, Reading, PA 19601

Mimmo's Family Restaurant
- Address: 290 Morgantown Rd., Reading, PA 19611

Heritage Auto Sales
- Address: 401 Morgantown Road, Reading, PA 19611

Women's Resources of Monroe County Inc.
- Address: Po Box 645, Delaware Water Gap, PA 18327

Raymour & Flanigan
- Address: 1055 Woodland Rd, Wyomissing, PA 19610

PW NBHS Club
- Address: 201 E Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462

Montgomery County Dept. of Health and Human Services
- Address: 1430 Dekalb St, Norristown, PA 19401

Emerson Automation Solutions
- Address: #3 Valley Square, Suite 220, 512 East Township Line Rd. Blue Bell, PA 19422

J.Crew King of Prussia #530
- Address: 160 N Gulph Road #6137, King of Prussia, PA, 19406

Future Minds Inc.
- Address: 8509 Temple Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19150

Higher Ground Church International
- Address: 7860 Eva St, Philadelphia, PA 19128

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