Coat drives near Yakima
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 Yakima 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.
Union Gospel Mission of Yakima Wash
- Address: 1300 N. 1st Street, Yakima, WA 98901
Tri City Union Gospel Mission
- Address: 221 S 4th Ave, Pasco, WA 99301
Mid-Columbia Community Action Council
- Address: 2505 W 7th Street, The Dalles, OR 97058
The Lighthouse Early Learning and Development Center
- Address: 100 N St SE, Auburn, WA 98002
Seattle YMCA Social Impact Center
- Address: 932 Auburn Way S, Auburn, WA 98002
Diocese of Olympia Refugee Resettlement Office
- Address: 515 B St NE, Auburn, WA 98002
Kent Black Action Commission
- Address: 24914 109th Pl SE Apt A, Kent, WA 98030
Eastside Baby Corner
- Address: 1510 NW Maple St, Issaquah, WA 98027
Multi-Serivce Center
- Address: 1200 S 336th St, Federal Way, WA 98003
ECEAP Truman and Starlake
- Address: 26812 40th Ave South, Kent, WA 98032
Communities in Schools of Greater King County
- Address: 3407 NE 2nd St, Renton, WA 98056
Lutheran Community Services NW
- Address: 4040 S 188th St Ste 100, Seatac, WA 98188
Crunch Fitness
- Address: 6111 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd, Ste H, Lakewood, WA 98499
International Rescue Committee - Washington
- Address: 1200 S 192nd St Ste 101, Seatac, WA 98148
Troop 219
- Address: 1315 N. Stevens St.,, Tacoma, WA 98406
