Coat drives near Washington, D.C.
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 Washington, D.C. 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.
Harman Hall
- Address: 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
United Mission for Relief & Development (DC)
- Address: 1990 K St NW Ste 425, Washington, DC 20006
Community for Creative Non-Violence
- Address: 425 2nd St NW, Washington, DC 20001
Miriam's Kitchen
- Address: 2401 Virginia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20037
Central Union Mission
- Address: 65 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
Deeds of Kindness
- Address: 401 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
Brooklinen DC
- Address: 1811 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
St. John's Community Services
- Address: 99 M St SE Suite 833, Washington, DC 20003
J.Crew - Georgetown
- Address: 3077 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
Jubilee Hosuing
- Address: 1631 Euclid St NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA, Washington, DC 20009
Centronia
- Address: 1420 Columbia RD NW, Washington DC, DC 20009
Youthbuild Public Charter School
- Address: 3220 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20010
The Family Place DC
- Address: 3309 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20010
Monument Academy
- Address: 500 19th Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Pathways to Housing DC
- Address: 1151 Bladensburg Rd NE Ste 101, Washington, DC 20002
