Coat drives near Parkersburg
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 Parkersburg 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.
The Center for Children and Families
- Address: 128 Main St., New Martinsville, WV 26155
Covenant House - WV
- Address: 600 Shrewsbury St, Charleston, WV 25301
MOD Pizza: Lancaster
- Address: 1854 N. Memorial Drive, Lancaster, OH 43130
Catholic Charities Neighborhood Center
- Address: 125 18th St, Wheeling, WV 26003
Path Integrated Health Care ♻️
- Address: 111 W Water St, Chillicothe, OH 45601
MOD Pizza: Pickerington
- Address: 1301 Hill Rd N, Pickerington, OH 43147
Joseph's Coat of Central Ohio ♻️
- Address: 7500 E Main St, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
Isabella Nasya Foundation
- Address: PO Box 498, Craigsville, WV 26205-8832
ETSS Tewahedo Social Services
- Address: 4300 E. Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43213
MARYHAVEN
- Address: 1791 Alum Creek Dr., Columbus, OH 43207
MOD Pizza: Gahanna
- Address: 333 Hamilton Rd, Gahanna, OH 43230
Resident Resources Network
- Address: 06 W. Main St. Suite 200 , New Albany, OH 43054
Columbus Cleaning
- Address: Ross Cleaners, 2964 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH. 43209
The Reeb Center
- Address: 280 Reeb Ave, Columbus, OH 43207
A+ Arts Academy
- Address: 1395 Fair Ave, Columbus, OH 43205