Coat drives near Oakland

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 Oakland 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.

Bonita House, Inc.
- Address: 1605 Jefferson St, Oakland, CA 94612

CityTeam Ministries - Oakland
- Address: 722 Washington Street, Oakland, CA 94607

Alameda County Social Services Workforce and Benefits Agency - North County
- Address: 2000 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA 94612

St. Vincent de Paul - Alameda County
- Address: 2272 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA 94612

KTVU at Jack London Square
- Address: 472 Water Street, Oakland, CA 94607

Koreatown Oakland DBA Oakland First Fridays
- Address: 2633 Telegraph Ave Suite 109, Oakland, CA 94612

Oakland First Fridays Office
- Address: 2633 Telegraph Ave ste 109 Oakland CA 94612

Aqua Via Apartments
- Address: 125 2nd Street Oakland CA 94607

McKinney-Vento Program
- Address: 746 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94608

Temescal Works
- Address: 490 43rd Street,, Oakland, CA 94609

Abio Properties Coat Drive
- Address: 4200 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611

Queen Memorial Church
- Address: 1324 E 24th St, Oakland, CA 94606

Rooted N Love
- Address: 1645 21st ave, oakland, CA 94606

Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove
- Address: 1252 McKay Avenue, Alameda CA 94501

Mission for the Homeless
- Address: 2458 E 22nd St, Oakland, CA 94601