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.
RELATED: Where to volunteer across the state, broken down by issue
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 Phoenix 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.
Keys to Change
– Address: 204 S 12th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007
A Place 2 Turn
– Address: 1519 W Cocopah St, Phoenix, AZ 85007
Arizona Housing, Inc.
– Address: 1735 Grand Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007
J.Crew – Biltmore Fashion Park
– Address: 2502 E Camelback Rd, Suite #187,Phoenix, AZ 85016
Harvest Compassion Center
– Address: 4002 N 67th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85033
Haven of Hope Foundation
– Address: 40844 N Union Trl, Anthem, AZ 85086
Chino Valley Lionesses
– Address: 1830 Coyote Corner, Chino Valley, AZ 86323
5.11 Tactical Coat Drive
– Address: 3976 N Oracle Rd, Tucson, AZ 85705
Old Pueblo Community Services
– Address: 2323 S Park Ave, Tucson, AZ 85713
Project Access
– Address: 7671 E TANQUE VERDE RD PROJECT ACCESS (located in leasing office), TUCSON, AZ 85715
Borderlands Produce Rescue
– Address: 270 W Produce Row, Nogales, AZ 85621
Good Neighbor Alliance – Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona
– Address: 420 N. 7th St., Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
Duffy Clan Veteran Committee
– Address: PO Box 163, Keams Canyon, AZ 86034
East Valley Family Services
– Address: 1830 E Sahara Ave Ste 101, Las Vegas, NV 89104
Ann Lynch Elementary School
– Address: 4850 Kell Ln, Las Vegas, NV 89115
