Coat drives near Spartanburg

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 Spartanburg 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.

Hopewell United Methodist Church
- Address: 1420 Neely Ferry Road, Simpsonville, SC 29680

Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Greenville
- Address: 3372 Lauren Rd, Greenville, SC 29607

Coats of Kindness
- Address: PO Box 1563, Laurens, SC 29360

Two Trees Distilling's Coat Drive
- Address: 17 Continuum Drive, Fletcher, NC 28732

Hearts with Hands
- Address: 850 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa, NC 28778

Western Carolina Rescue Ministries
- Address: 850 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa, NC 28778

MOD Pizza: Rivergate
- Address: 14318 RiverGate View, Suite 500, Charlotte, NC 28273

Anderson Interfaith Ministries - AIM
- Address: PO Box 1136, Anderson, SC 29622

MOD Pizza: Berewick
- Address: 4830 Berewick Town Center Dr, Unit B, Charlotte, NC 28273

MOD Pizza: Asheville
- Address: 873 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804

Youth Advocate Programs
- Address: 205 Regency Executive Park Drive Suite 450, Charlotte, NC 28216

Renewed Inspiration
- Address: 2919 Reid Ave, Charlotte, NC 28208

Recovery Oriented Practices
- Address: 10643 Kettering Dr Suite 216, Charlotte, NC 28226

A Celebration for you Foundation
- Address: 3626 Beaux St, Charlotte, NC 28208

Emerge Young Adult Services
- Address: 3800 Whitehall Dr, Charlotte, NC 28208