Coat drives near Columbia
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 Columbia 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.
EMS Closet
- Address: 2827 Wheat Street, Columbia, SC 29205
Family Promise of the Midlands
- Address: 1333 Omarest Dr, Columbia, SC 29210
Palmetto Place Children and Youth Services
- Address: Po Box 3395, Columbia, SC 29230
New Life Healing Restoration Center
- Address: 1125 Neolithic Ct, Lexington, SC 29073
Round Top Elementary School
- Address: 449 Rimer Pond Road, Blythewood, SC 29016
GAP Ministries
- Address: Po Box 901, Augusta, GA 30903
Coats of Kindness
- Address: Po Box 1563, Laurens, SC 29360
Holy Ghost Takeover Outreach Ministry-GA
- Address: P.O. Box 15211, Augusta, GA 30919
SWAT Foundation Inc.
- Address: 2759 Royal St, Augusta, GA 30909
Apple Moving
- Address: 618 Sandbar Ferry Rd, Augusta, GA 30901
The Augusta Dream Center
- Address: 3364 Peach Orchard Rd, Augusta, GA 30906
Holy Ghost Takeover Outreach Ministry-TN
- Address: 3419 Covington Court, Augusta, GA 30909
Recovery Oriented Practices
- Address: 10617 Kettering Dr, Charlotte, NC 28226
Hope for Tomorrow Outreach
- Address: 4705 Aldersbrook Drive, Monroe, NC 28110
J.Crew Southpark #544
- Address: 4400 Sharon Road Suite 196, Charlotte, NC, 28211
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 395 metros.
