Coat Drives Near Worcester

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Coat drives near Worcester

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 Worcester 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.

Safe Exit Initiative
- Address: 534 Cambridge St, Worcester, MA 01610

Park Avenue Elementary
- Address: 58 Park Ave, Webster, MA 01570

Berean Baptist Church
- Address: 474 Chapel St, Harrisville, RI 02830

J.Crew - Natick
- Address: 1245 Worcester St, Suite #3012, Natick, MA 01760

Children of Light
- Address: 17 PAYSON ST, FITCHBURG, MA 01420

We Heart Lives
- Address: 1 New England Way, Smithfield, RI 02917

Communities United, Inc.
- Address: 169 Elm St, Waltham, MA 02453

Cradles to Crayons Massachusetts
- Address: 281 Newtonville Ave, Newtonville, MA 02460

Cadillac of Norwood
- Address: 700 Boston Providence Highway, Norwood, MA 02062

J.Crew - Legacy Place
- Address: 470 Legacy Place, Dedham, MA 02026

Garnet Hill
- Address: 680 Legacy Place, Dedham, MA 02026