Coat drives near Florence, South Carolina
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 Florence 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.
Bethel Zion Ministries
- Address: 935 Green Sea Rd, Green Sea, SC 29545
Richmond County Rescue Mission
- Address: Place of Grace Campus, 252 School St., Rockingham, NC 28379
MOD Pizza: Carolina Forest
- Address: 107 Debo Dr, Suite 220, Myrtle Beach, SC 29759
MOD Pizza: South Myrtle Beach
- Address: 1370 S Commons Dr, Unit 103, Myrtle Beach, SC 29588
The Cooperative Ministry
- Address: 3821 W Beltline Blvd, Columbia, SC 29204
MOD Pizza: NE Columbia
- Address: 10296 Two Notch Rd, Suite 4, Columbia, SC 29229
Quillah Cares
- Address: 751 Jacobs Millpond Road Apt 727, Elgin, SC 29045
MOD Pizza: North Myrtle Beach
- Address: 1400 Hwy 17 N, Unit 5, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
Storage King Coat Drive
- Address: 4928 US Hwy 301, Hope Mills, NC 28348
MOD Pizza: Woodhill
- Address: 141 Pelham Dr, Suite B, Columbia, SC 29209
Palmetto Place Children and Youth Services
- Address: PO Box 3395, Columbia, SC 29230
10 Million Souls Inc
- Address: 3805 Westbury Ct Unit 14, Fayetteville, NC 28314
MOD Pizza: Fayetteville
- Address: 1950 Skibo Rd, Fayetteville, NC 28314
Family Promise of the Midlands
- Address: 1333 Omarest Dr, Columbia, SC 29210
MOD Pizza: Indian Trail
- Address: 6720 Old Monroe Rd, Indian Trail, NC 28079
