Coat drives near Mansfield

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 Mansfield 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.

People to People Ministries
- Address: 454 E. Bowman ST. Wooster, Wooster, OH 44691

The Village Network
- Address: 2000 Noble Drive, Wooster, OH 44691

Mission Warmth
- Address: 394 Restoration Dr, Delaware, OH 43015

Care and Share of Erie County
- Address: 241 Jackson Street, Sandusky, OH 44870

Resident Resources Network
- Address: 06 W. Main St. Suite 200 , New Albany, OH 43054

Lorain Prep High School
- Address: 2702 Elyria Ave, Lorain, OH 44052

Columbus Cleaning Powell Cleaners
- Address: 3972 Powell Rd, Powell, OH. 43065

Veterans Serving Veterans Organization, Inc.
- Address: 968 Remsen Road, Medina, OH 44256

Knoll Family Coat Drive
- Address: 10427 Forest Glen Place, Powell, OH 43065

La Z Boy Strongsville's Coat Drive
- Address: 16720 Royalton Rd, Strongsville, OH 44136

Todd Snyder: Easton Town Center
- Address: 4174 The Strand, Space 321, Columbus, OH 43219

J.Crew - Easton Town Center
- Address: 3930 Easton Square Place East, Columbus, OH 43219

MOD Pizza: Gahanna
- Address: 333 Hamilton Rd, Gahanna, OH 43230

ETSS Tewahedo Social Services
- Address: 4300 E. Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43213

Columbus Cleaning Bart's Cleaners. 4332 N. High St.
- Address: Columbus, OH. 43214