Coat Drives Near Watertown

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Coat drives near Watertown

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 Watertown 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.

The Arc Jefferson - St. Lawrence Foundation
- Address: 968 Bradley St., Watertown, NY 13601

United Way Hastings & Prince Edward
- Address: 55 Harriett St., Belleville, ON K8N 3V3

Family Promise of Wayne County
- Address: 301 South Main Street PO Box 165, Newark, NY 14513

Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre
- Address: 2 MacNeil Court, Kanata, ON K2L 4H7

Community Cares
- Address: 12 North St. PO Box 575, St. Catharines, Ontario, ON L2P1X8

Interval House of Ottawa
- Address: PO Box 40089 2515 Bank Street, Ottawa, ON K1V 0W8

St Paul Blvd. Fire Association
- Address: 433 Cooper rd, Rochester, NY 14617

Metis Nation of Ontario
- Address: Suite 1100, 11th Floor, 66 Slater Street, Ottawa, ON K1P 5H1

Monroe Plan for Medical Care
- Address: 1120 Pittsford Victor Rd, Pittsford, NY 14534

Monarch Wealth Management
- Address: 1688 Monroe Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618

413 Church
- Address: 131 Chestnut Street, Rochester, NY 14604