Coat drives near Hagerstown

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 Hagerstown 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.

Forever Lasting Rainbow, Inc
- Address: 54 1/2 E Franklin St, Hagerstown, MD 21740

Children In Need, Inc.
- Address: 131 W North Ave, Hagerstown, MD 21740

Pleasant view healthcare
- Address: 4101 Baltimore National Pike, Mt. Airy, MD 21771

MOD Pizza: Chambersburg
- Address: 917 Norland Ave, Chambersburg, PA 17201

Frederick Rescue Mission
- Address: 419 W South St, Frederick, MD 21701

MOD Pizza: Westview Promenade
- Address: 5265 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick, MD 21704

Loudoun Heights Fire and Rescue
- Address: 13345 Harper's Ferry Road Purcellville, VA 20132

Adams County Shelter-Homeless
- Address: 153 N Stratton St, Gettysburg, PA 17325

South Central Community Action Programs
- Address: 153 N Stratton St, Gettysburg, PA 17325

South Central Community Action Programs
- Address: 153 N Stratton Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325

MOD Pizza: Purcellville
- Address: 150 Purcellville Gateway Dr, Suite 150-A, Purcellville, VA 20132

Round Hill Fire
- Address: 4 Main St Round Hill, VA 20141

Mt. Airy Net, Inc.
- Address: 1402 N. Main Street, Mount Airy, MD 21771

Hamilton Fire and Rescue
- Address: 39077 East Colonial Hwy Hamilton, VA 20158

Leesburg Fire Company
- Address: 61 Plaza St NE Leesburg, VA 20176