Coat drives near Victoria

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 Victoria 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.

First Presbyterian Church
- Address: 430 S Carancahua, Corpus Christi, Texas 78401

Middle Cross Ministries Inc
- Address: 12132 highway 359, Sandia, TX 78383

Brazos Mall Coat Drive
- Address: 100 Hwy 332 W., Lake Jackson, TX 77566

UMR Houston Chapter
- Address: 6410 Apsley Creek Ln, Sugar Land, TX 77479

SAMMinistries
- Address: 1919 NW Loop 410 Ste 100, San Antonio, TX 78213

BCFS HHS Human Trafficking Interdiction Division - Common Thread
- Address: 17319 San Pedro Ave., Suite 208, San Antonio, TX 78254-5905

Jet's Pizza
- Address: 7101 State Hwy 71, Austin, TX 78735

Mosaic Street Ministry
- Address: 9910 Bilbrook Pl, Austin, TX 78748

Neff ECC- HISD
- Address: 8200 Carvel St, Houston, TX 77036

J.Crew - Barton Creek Square
- Address: 2901 South Capital Texas Hwy, Space H05B, Austin, TX 78746

Trinity Center
- Address: 301 E 8th St, Austin, TX 78701

UMLAUF Sculpture + Garden
- Address: 605 Azie Morton Rd, Austin, TX 78704

Portfolio Resident Services-Manor
- Address: 10525 Wildhorse Ranch Trail Suite 860, Manor, TX 78653

Jet's Pizza
- Address: 827 W 12th St, Austin, TX 78701

UMR University of Texas at Austin Chapter
- Address: 1906 Nueces St, Austin, TX 78705