Coat Drives Near Chattanooga

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Coat drives near Chattanooga

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 Chattanooga 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.

J.Crew - Warehouse Row
- Address: 1110 Market Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402

CHATT foundation
- Address: 727 East 11th St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

The Next Door - Chattanooga
- Address: 108 Moccasin Bend Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37405

Crossroads Bridging The Gap
- Address: 12 Pollock Street #103, Rome, GA 30161

MUST Ministries
- Address: 111 Brown Industrial Pkwy, Canton, GA 30114

Lucky 7-11 Motorcycle
- Address: 2901 Pike Avenue, Huntsville, AL 35810

Downtown Rescue Mission
- Address: 1400 Evangel Dr. NW, Huntsville, AL 35816

Give Homeless Hope
- Address: 629 Sunshine Trce NW, Acworth, GA 30102

S&J Automotive Repair
- Address: 107 Benson Circle, Huntsville, Alabama 35806

Ser Familia, Inc.
- Address: 1000 Cobb Place Blvd NW Ste 170, Kennesaw, GA 30144

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health
- Address: 1291 Stanley Rd NW, Kennesaw, GA 30152