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 Kingston 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.
Family of Woodstock ♻️
- Address: 31 Albany Ave, Kingston, NY 12401
Zero Tolerance Task Force
- Address: PO Box 1257, Port Ewen, NY 12466
Together for Youth
- Address: 160 Fairview Ave Suite 814, Hudson, NY 12534
Passing the Blessings
- Address: 23 Jordan Ln, Middletown, NY 10940
Cornerstone Masonic Lodge
- Address: 300 Stage Road, Monroe, New York 10950
The Guidance Center of Westchester
- Address: 980 Pemart Ave, Peekskill, NY 10566
Reino Unido
- Address: 102 Larson Dr, Danbury, CT 06810
Apex Community Care
- Address: 16 Hospital avenue, Danbury, CT 06810
Apex Community Care
- Address: 601 south main street - unit 3, torrington, CT 06910
U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Albany Field Office
- Address: 155 Washington Ave 1st Floor, Albany, NY 12210
Second Canaan Baptist Church
- Address: 12 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10026
Neighbors Link
- Address: 350 Lexington Ave, Mt Kisco, NY 10549
Advent of Faith Outreach Mission INC.
- Address: Suite 201A, Guilderland, NY 12084
Wild Blueberry
- Address: 2 Main Street, Unit B, Redding, CT 06896
Youth and Police Initiative (YPI)
- Address: 200 N Main St, Spring Valley, NY 10977