Coat drives near Wichita Falls
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 Wichita Falls 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.
Coats for Kids Lawton- UWSWOK
- Address: 22 SW D Ave Ste 1, Lawton, OK 73501
Lawton Food Bank
- Address: 1819 SW Sheridan Road 1819 SW SHERIDAN ROAD, Lawton, OK 73505
Freedom House
- Address: 1149 Fort Worth Hwy, Weatherford, TX 76086
The Umbrella of Family Services, Incorporated
- Address: 608 East Hickory Street, Suite 128, Denton, TX 76205
Our Daily Bread
- Address: 909 N. Loop 288, Denton, TX 76209
Saginaw Recreation Center
- Address: 633 W McLeroy Blvd, Saginaw, Tx 76179
FORT WORTH FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISH OUTREACH
- Address: 2904 Portales dr., Fort Worth, TX 76116
Clinton Avenue Baptist Church Outreach
- Address: 2627 Clinton Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76164
Claudia Dominguez at New American Funding
- Address: 101 Summit Avenue,, Suite 1000, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Jacqueline Kennedy Coats for Kids
- Address: 2450 Lakeside Pkwy Ste 150, Flower Mound, TX 75022
Christian Center of Fort Worth
- Address: 4301 NE 28th St, Haltom City, TX 76117
J.Crew - University Park Village
- Address: 1612 South University Drive, Suite # 408, Fort Worth, TX 76107
Grapevine Church of Christ
- Address: 525 N Park Blvd, Grapevine, TX 76051
Strong Castle Outreach
- Address: 1500 E Leuda St, Fort Worth, TX 76104
International Leadership of Texas
- Address: 5901 Boca Raton Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76112
