Coat drives near Gadsden

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 Gadsden 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.

Crossroads Comprehensive Youth Development Center
– Address: 23 Chateau Drive Suite 116, Rome, GA 30161

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

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

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

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

Adell Foundation
– Address: 75 Rome Street, Temple, GA 30179

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

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

MC Auto and Truck Repair
– Address: 3083 Atlanta Hwy, ste A, Dallas, Ga 30132

Beyond The Walls Community Outreach
– Address: 436 Daventry Circle, Calera, AL 35040

Mission on the Move Ministries Inc
– Address: 3945 Yeager Rd, Douglasville, GA 30135

Blessings Working Together
– Address: Please Email Or Call., Douglasville, GA 30135

Rainey Day Fund

– Address: 3548 Pine Grove Drive, Douglasville, GA 30135

TM Touch Outreach
– Address: 4135 Kienel Dr, 4135, Acworth, GA 30101

Life Circle 72
– Address: 5071 Austell Powder Springs Rd Unit 745, Clarkdale, GA 30111

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