Coat drives near El Centro

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 El Centro 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.

J.Crew - University Town Center
- Address: 4465 La Jolla Village Drive, Space #H 3, San Diego, CA 92122

Mission Valley Mall
- Address: 1640 Camino Del Rio North, San Diego CA 92108

Alpha Project for the Homeless
- Address: 3737 5th Ave Ste 203, San Diego, CA 92103

San Diego Rescue Mission
- Address: 120 Elm Street, San Diego, CA 92101

Franklin Mortgage
- Address: 41607 Margarita Rd., Suite 102, Temecula, CA 92591

Community Advocates for Residents Empowered
- Address: 220 S Elk St spc 26 26, Hemet, CA 92543

Fostering Kids for Life
- Address: 1895 West Devonshire #44, Hemet, CA 92545

Libby Elementary School
- Address: 423 W Redondo Dr, Oceanside, CA 92057

CalRes Homes
- Address: 2691 State Street, Carlsbad, CA 92008

Menifee Union School District
- Address: 30205 Menifee Road Suite M, Menifee, CA 92584

MOD Pizza: Redlands
- Address: 27511 San Bernardino Ave, Suite 150, Redlands, CA 92374

Keys 2 Awareness
- Address: 4150 Chicago Ave, Riverside, CA 92507

City of Riverside Parks
- Address: 2060 University Ave, Riverside, CA 92507

MOD Pizza: Arlington Plaza
- Address: 3444 Arlington Ave, Riverside, CA 92506

Riverside Free Clinic
- Address: 3504 Mission Inn Ave, Riverside, CA 92501-3307