Coat drives near Bloomington, Illinois
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 Bloomington 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.
Neighborhood House
- Address: 1020 S Matthew St, Peoria, IL 61605
Lutheran Child and Family Services
- Address: 400 S 9th St Suite 202, Springfield, IL 62701
Agape Community Outreach Mission
- Address: 196 S Harrison Ave, Kankakee, IL 60901
Poah Communitites
- Address: 200 N. Crestlane Dr, Kankakee, IL 60901
Hope and Divine Purpose Transitional Living Home
- Address: 134 E Cass St, Joliet, IL 60432
UMR Chicago Chapter
- Address: 10741 Crystal Creek Dr, Mokena, IL 60448
BEA NICE FOUNDATION
- Address: 2935 Showplace Drive, Naperville, IL 60564
Free Yourself Sisters In Christ
- Address: 901 W New York St. Aurora, IL, Aurora, IL 60506
Adonai Ministeries Int
- Address: 303 N. Lake Street, Aurora, IL 60506
BRAC
- Address: 200 S. Lindsey Ln, Bolingbrook, IL 60440
Savi Therapy Group
- Address: 440 Quadrangle Dr, Suite C, Bolingbrook, IL 60440
Kreative Kinnectionz Youth Outreach Inc.
- Address: 4137 Sauk Trl Ste 116, Richton Park, IL 60471
Library
- Address: 300 W. Briarcliff Rd, Bolingbrook, IL 60440
Fox Valley Mall
- Address: 195 Fox Valley Ctr, Aurora, IL 60504
New Harvest Ministries International
- Address: 364 Smoke Tree Plaza, North Aurora, IL 60542