Coat drives near Lexington

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 Lexington 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.

Lexington Rescue Mission
– Address: P.O. Box 1050, Lexington, KY 40588

Share Kentucky
– Address: 572 Georgetown Street, Lexington, KY 40508

Neil Huffman Honda of Frankfort
– Address: 1440 Versailles Rd, Frankfort, KY 40601

Neil Huffman Chevy Buick GMC of Frankfort
– Address: 1220 Versailles Road, Frankfort, KY 40601

Neil Huffman Nissan of Frankfort
– Address: 1220 Versailles Road, Frankfort, KY 40601

OVEC
– Address: 100 Alpine Drive, Shelbyville, KY 40065

Neil Huffman Auto Group
– Address: 1800 Williamson Court, Louisville, KY 40223

Gateway Children’s Advocacy Center
– Address: 310 East Main Street, Morehead, KY 40351

Neil Huffman Acura
– Address: 100 Oxmoor Court, Louisville, KY 40222

Learn & Grow Child Development Center
– Address: 10745 New Haven Road, NEW HAVEN, KY 40051

Prayer Changes Things Ministry
– Address: 157 Flirtation Walk, Louisville, KY 40219

KY Race Track Chaplaincy
– Address: 700 Central Ave, Louisville, KY 40208

American Modern Insurance
– Address: 7000 Midland Blvd., Amelia, OH 45102

Kentucky Refugee Ministries
– Address: 632 Russell St, Covington, KY 41011

Neil Huffman Honda
– Address: 1607 Greentree Blvd, Clarksville, IN 47129

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