Coat drives near Columbus

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 Columbus 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.

Fund The Climb Foundation
- Address: 815 W. Broad St., Ste 310, Columbus, OH 43222

Live Life To The Fullest
- Address: PO Box 32283, Columbus, OH 43232

The Open Shelter
- Address: 1037 Parsons Ave, Columbus, OH 43206

Festa
- Address: Po Box 12063, Columbus, OH 43212

The Reeb Center
- Address: 280 REEB AVE, COLUMBUS, OH 43207-1936

Westside Free Store Ministries
- Address: 61 S Powell Ave, Columbus, OH 43204

Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS)
- Address: 4645 Executive Drive, Columbus, OH 43220

Krieger Ford
- Address: 1800 Morse Rd, Columbus, OH 43229

Live Life To The Fullest
- Address: Po Box 32283, Columbus, OH 43232

J.Crew Easton Town Center #568
- Address: 3930 Easton Square Place E, Columbus, OH, 43219

Northwest United Methodist
- Address: 5200 Riverside Dr, Columbus, OH 43220

Joseph's Coat of Central Ohio
- Address: 7500 East Main Street, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068

Vibe Venue
- Address: 10 Dillmont Drive, Columbus, OH 43235

Chipotle Mexican Grill
- Address: 5375 New Albany Rd W, Columbus, OH 43054

One Dublin
- Address: 6305 Brand Rd, Dublin, OH 43016

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