Coat drives near Florence

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 Florence 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.

Downtown Rescue Mission
– Address: 1400 Evangel Drive, Huntsville, AL 35816

CEI
– Address: 2179 Edward Curd Ln Ste 100, Franklin, TN 37067

Mama’s Kitchen
– Address: 3070 Highway 7, Lamar, MS 38642

Ben Kinney Team
– Address: 7110 Town Center Way, Ste 201, Brentwood, TN 37027

Be Only Our God Advocates Hope
– Address: 1601 35 St Ensley, Birmingham, Alabama 35208

Power of Life
– Address: I3 Academy, 230 49th St N, Birmingham, AL 35212,

Power of Life Foundation, Inc.
– Address: 1116 20Th St S # 432, Birmingham, AL 35205

Power of Life
– Address: 1116 20th St S, Suite 432, Birmingham, AL 35204

Operation Stand Down
– Address: 1125 12Th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203

Youth Arts Empowerment
– Address: 5161 Rice Rd Apt 4, Antioch, TN 37013

Pine Valley Retirement Community
– Address: 800 Rice Valley Road N, Tuscaloosa, Al 35406

Urban Housing Solutions
– Address: 822 Woodland St, Nashville, TN 37206

Barge Design
– Address: Grandview I, 3535 Grandview Parkway, suite 500, Birmingham, AL 35243

Homewood Suites Baywood Hotel’s
– Address: 2640 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville,Tn 37214

Best Brands
– Address: Inc,, 7337 Cockrill Bend Blvd, Nashville, TN 37209

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 395 metros.