Coat drives near Beckley
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 Beckley 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.
Covenant House - WV
- Address: 600 Shrewsbury St, Charleston, WV 25301
Labor of Love Mission
- Address: 1379 Tazewell AVE, North Tazewell, VA 24630
American Legion Post 3
- Address: 710 Apperson Dr, Salem, VA 24153
Lands' End-Burlington 75 Middlesex Turnpike #1002 Burlington
- Address: MA 1803
Carter County Drug Prevention
- Address: 210 South Hills Drive, Elizabethton, TN 37643
Bogies Hair Salon
- Address: 525 W Oakland Ave # 6, Johnson City, TN 37604
Sophisticated Smiles
- Address: 189 Corporate Drive, STE 20, Johnson City, TN 37604
Winston-Salem Rescue Mission
- Address: 718 N Trade St, Winston Salem, NC 27101
The Bridge Community, Inc
- Address: 54 E Main Ave, Taylorsville, NC 28681
The Center for Children and Families
- Address: 128 Main St., New Martinsville, WV 26155
Kaslyn Wallace
- Address: One Day Next Tuesday Coat Drive, 26 williams drive Taylorsville, NC 28681
Church World Service - Harrisonburg
- Address: 250 E Elizabeth St Ste 102, Harrisonburg, VA 22802
Wells Memorial Church of God in Christ- Food Pantry ♻️
- Address: 9 Mansfield Cir, Greensboro, NC 27455
BackPack Beginnings
- Address: 3711 Alliance Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407
FaithAction International
- Address: 2211 W Meadowview Rd #10, Greensboro, NC 27407
