Coat drives near Seattle
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 Seattle 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.
Suisun Healthy Start Family Resource Center
- Address: 725 Golden Eye Way, Suisan City, CA 94585
REACH Program
- Address: 2133 3Rd Ave Ste 116, Seattle, WA 98121
Sound - Capitol Hill
- Address: 1600 E Olive St, Seattle, WA 98122
A 4 Apple Learning Center
- Address: 323 23Rd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
St. Francis House - Seattle
- Address: 169 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
Starbucks
- Address: 1st & University, 1305 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
Starbucks
- Address: 2344 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA 98106
Starbucks
- Address: University Way Ave, 4147 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105
Starbucks
- Address: 3300 West McGraw St, Seattle, WA 98199
ROOTS Young Adult Shelter
- Address: 4541 19Th Ave Ne, Seattle, WA 98105
Cotopaxi University Village
- Address: 2635 NE Village Lane Suite #7, Seattle, WA 98105
Elizabeth Gregory Home
- Address: 1604 Ne 50Th Street, Seattle, WA 98105
J.Crew University Village #639
- Address: 2660 NE University Village Street, Seattle, WA, 98105
Mical Williamson-Gray's Coat Drive
- Address: 6501 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98136
J.Crew Bellevue #529
- Address: 2058 Bellevue Square, Bellevue, WA, 98004
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 395 metros.