Coat Drives Near Chicago

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Coat drives near Chicago

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 Chicago 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.

Children First Fund
- Address: 233 S Wacker Drive Suite 4400, 44th Floor, Industrious, Chicago, IL 60606

Chicago Help Initiative
- Address: 440 North Wells Street, Suite 440, Chicago, IL 60654

Easterseals Chicago SCSEP
- Address: 141 W Jackson Blvd Ste 1400A, Chicago, IL 60604

Big Brothers Big Sisters Metro Chicago
- Address: 130 S Jefferson St Ste 200, Chicago, IL 60661

The Shops at North Bridge
- Address: 520 North Michigan Avenue Suite 350, Chicago, IL 60611

1410 Special Olympics Drive
- Address: Chicago, IL, USA

VOA Illinois
- Address: 47 W Polk St Ste 250, Chicago, IL 60605

TASC, Inc
- Address: 700 S Clinton Street, Chicago, IL 60607

HOKA CHICAGO
- Address: 746 N MICHIGAN AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60611

National Housing Organization Inc
- Address: 159 N Sangamon, Chicago, IL 60607

Chicago Lights Social Service Center
- Address: 126 E Chestnut St, Chicago, IL 60611