Coat drives near Olympia

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 Olympia 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.

MOD Pizza: West Olympia
- Address: 410 Cooper Point Rd SW Suite #100, Olympia, WA 98502

MOD Pizza: Lacey South Sound
- Address: 4022 Pacific Ave SE, Suite B, Lacey, WA 98503

Family Support Center of South Sound
- Address: 3545 7th Ave SW Ste 200, Olympia, WA 98502

MOD Pizza: Lacey - Summerwalk
- Address: 5128 Yelm Hwy SE, Suite A, Lacey, WA 98503

MOD Pizza: Hawks Prairie
- Address: 2370 Marvin Road NE, Suite A, Lacey, WA 98516

MOD Pizza: Lakewood Towne Center
- Address: 10427 Gravelly Lake Dr SW, Suite 102, Lakewood, WA 98499

Crunch Fitness
- Address: 6111 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd, Ste H, Lakewood, WA 98499

MOD Pizza: University Place
- Address: 3626 Market Place W, Suite 105, University Place, WA 98466

Troop 219
- Address: 1315 N. Stevens St.,, Tacoma, WA 98406

MOD Pizza: Frederickson
- Address: 17513 Canyon Parkway E, Suite A, Tacoma, WA 98446

MOD Pizza: Harbor Hill
- Address: 4726 Borgen Blvd, Suite B, Gig Harbor, WA 98332

MOD Pizza: Puyallup
- Address: 10301 156th St E, Ste B201, Puyallup, WA 98374

MOD Pizza: Pioneer Crossing
- Address: 732 Shaw Rd E, Suite A, Puyallup, WA 98372

MOD Pizza: Surprise Lake
- Address: 940 Meridian Ave E., Suite 101, Milton, WA 98354

Multi-Serivce Center
- Address: 1200 S 336th St, Federal Way, WA 98003