Coat drives near Bellingham
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 Bellingham 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.
Communities In Schools of Whatcom-Skagit
- Address: 119 N Commercial St, Suite 620, Bellingham, WA 98225
The Lighthouse Mission Ministries
- Address: 910 W. Holly Street, Bellingham, WA 99999
Skagit Valley Hospitality House Association dba Skagit Friendship House
- Address: 1002 S. 3rd St., Mount Vernon, WA 98273
Westwinds Community Church
- Address: 6331 176 St, Surrey, BC V3S 4E9
Options Community Services - Hyland House
- Address: 6595 King George Blvd., Surrey, BC V3W 4Z9
Options Community Services - Early Years Program
- Address: #101 - 13583 81st ave, Surrey, BC V3W3V8
Phoenix Society
- Address: 13686 94A Ave, Surrey, BC V3V 1N1
Tri-City Transitions Society
- Address: 402-2071 Kingsway Ave, Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 6N2
Hope for Freedom Society
- Address: 3237 Liverpool Street, Port Coquitlam, BC V3B 3G3
Westcoast Family Centres
- Address: 2780 East Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5M 1L6
Out of The Rain Youth Shelter
- Address: 1450 Elford Street, Victoria, BC V8S3S8
Covenant House-Vancouver
- Address: 1302 Seymour Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 4K8
Building Source 1694 E Main St
- Address: Freeland, WA 98249
ATGPNW Evetett
- Address: 530 Wadsworth St, Bldg 2200 Everett, WA 98201
HOST--Homeless Outreach Stabilization & Transition
- Address: 11627 Airport Rd Ste B, Everett, WA 98204
