Coat drives near Spartanburg
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 Spartanburg 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.
Coats of Kindness
- Address: Po Box 1563, Laurens, SC 29360
Crossroads Rescue Mission
- Address: Po Box 2090, Shelby, NC 28151
Warlick Academy
- Address: 1316 Spencer Mountain Rd, Gastonia, NC 28054
Anderson Interfaith Ministries - AIM
- Address: P.O. Box 1136 1202 S. Murray Avenue, Anderson, SC 29622
Western Carolina Rescue Ministries
- Address: Po Box 909, Asheville, NC 28802
Renewed Inspiration
- Address: 2919 Reid Ave, Charlotte, NC 28208
Recovery Oriented Practices
- Address: 10617 Kettering Dr, Charlotte, NC 28226
A Celebration for you Foundation
- Address: 3626 Beaux Street, Charlotte, NC 28208
Emerge Young Adult Services
- Address: 3800 Whitehall Drive, Charlotte, NC 28208
J.Crew Southpark #544
- Address: 4400 Sharon Road Suite 196, Charlotte, NC, 28211
AC Hotel by Marriott Charlotte SouthPark Coat Drive
- Address: 1824 Roxborough Road, Charlotte, NC 28211
Helping Hand Development Inc
- Address: 1404 Beatties Ford Rd, Suite 102, Charlotte, NC 28216-4578
No Bounds II
- Address: 615 E 6Th St Ste 103, Charlotte, NC 28202
Crisis Assistance Ministry
- Address: 500 Spratt St Ste A, Charlotte, NC 28206
Resourceslinked North Carolina
- Address: 8511 Four Sisters Ln, Charlotte, NC 28215
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 395 metros.
