Coat drives near Boston
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 Boston 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.
Park Street Church
- Address: 1 Park St, Boston, MA 02108
Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights
- Address: 801 Massachusetts Ave Bldg Floor, Boston, MA 02118
St. Francis House
- Address: 39 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116
International Institute of New England (IINE)
- Address: 2 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116
Todd Snyder: The Superette
- Address: 70 Pier Four Boulevard, Suite 230, Boston, MA 02210
J.Crew - Newbury
- Address: 46 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116
Women's Lunch Place
- Address: 67 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116
East Boston Community Soup Kitchen
- Address: 28 Paris St., East Boston, MA 02128
J.Crew - Copley Place
- Address: 100 Huntington Ave, Space F 8, Boston, MA 02116
Rosie's Place
- Address: 889 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02118
Mothers for Justice and Equality
- Address: 2201 Washington St 3rd Floor, Roxbury, MA 02119
Community Action Program Inter-City , Inc.
- Address: 100 Everett Ave Ste 14, Chelsea, MA 02150
Children's Services of Roxbury
- Address: 520 Dudley St, Roxbury, MA 02119
Boston Centers for Youth & Family
- Address: BCYF Administrative Offices 1483 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02120
Paul A. Dever Elementary School
- Address: 325 Mount Vernon St, Dorchester, MA 02125
