Coat drives near Mount Vernon
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 Mount Vernon 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.
Skagit Valley Hospitality House Association dba Skagit Friendship House
- Address: 1002 S. 3rd St., Mount Vernon, WA 98273
MOD Pizza: Burlington
- Address: 626 Haggen Dr, Suite 116, Burlington, WA 98233
MOD Pizza: Stanwood
- Address: 26902 92nd Ave NW, Suite A, Standwood, WA 98292
MOD Pizza: Oak Harbor
- Address: 31270 State Route 20 Ste A-4, Oak Harbor, WA 98277
MOD Pizza: Smokey Point
- Address: 2425 172nd St NE, Marysville, WA 98271
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
MOD Pizza: Barkley Village
- Address: 2925 Newmarket St, Suite 101, Bellingham, WA 98226
MOD Pizza: Marysville
- Address: 319 State Ave, Suite 101, Marysville, WA 98270
Building Source
- Address: 1694 E Main St, Freeland, WA 98249,, South Whidbey Assembly of God 5373 Maxwelton Rd, Langley, WA 98260
MOD Pizza: Lake Stevens
- Address: 513 SR 9 NE, Suite 515-A, Lake Stevens, WA 98258
MOD Pizza: Evergreen Way
- Address: 7909 Evergreen Way, Everett, WA 98203
HOST--Homeless Outreach Stabilization & Transition
- Address: 11627 Airport Rd Ste B, Everett, WA 98204
MOD Pizza: Mukilteo
- Address: 11706 Mukilteo Speedway, Suite A101, Mukilteo, WA 98275
MOD Pizza: Alderwood
- Address: 2902 164th St SW, Bldg C, Ste 6-7, Lynnwood, WA 98087
