Coat drives near Punta Gorda
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 Punta Gorda 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.
Port Charlotte Town Center
- Address: 1441 Tamiami Trail Suite 608, Port Charlotte, FL, 33948
Fort Myers Rescue Mission
- Address: 6900 Mission Ln, Fort Myers, FL 33916
RCMA South Highlands CDC
- Address: 135 Curve St, Lake Placid, FL 33852
Turning Points
- Address: 701 17th Ave West, Bradenton, FL 34205
Undersherperds Undershepherds
- Address: Saint Cloud Oaks Dr, Valrico, FL 33594
Metropolitan Ministries
- Address: 2002 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33602
J.Crew - International Plaza
- Address: 2223 North West Shore Boulevard, Suite 248, Tampa, FL 33607
Lighthouse Ministries
- Address: 215 E Magnolia St, Lakeland, FL 33801
Positively U, Incorporated
- Address: 320 1st St S, Winter Haven, FL 33880
Church World Service - Tampa
- Address: 3609 W Waters Ave, Tampa, FL 33614
Foster Youth of America
- Address: 2570 Cypress Tree Trl, Saint Cloud, FL 34772
Church World Service - Orlando
- Address: 3357 W Vine St, Suite 105, Kissimmee, FL 34741
NUEVO COMIENZO CHURCH
- Address: 3511 Bonaire boulevard 2402 # 401-19, Kissimmee, FL 34741
Catholic Charities of Central Florida
- Address: 207 White Street, Orlando, FL 32807
Orlando Union Rescue Mission
- Address: 1521 W Washington St, Orlando, FL 32805
