OCALA, Fla. – 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.
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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 Ocala 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.
Interfaith Emergency Services
- Address: 435 NW 2nd St, Ocala, FL 34475
Hearts of Serenity Homes, Inc
- Address: 1414 N Ronald Reagan Blvd Unit 1220, Longwood, FL 32750
Catholic Charities of Central Florida
- Address: 207 White Street, Orlando, FL 32807
Orlando Union Rescue Mission
- Address: 1521 W Washington St, Orlando, FL 32805
Christian Service Center
- Address: 808 W Central Blvd, orlando, FL 32805
St. Augustine Society
- Address: 1375 Arapaho Ave, Saint Augustine, FL 32084
NUEVO COMIENZO CHURCH
- Address: 3511 Bonaire boulevard 2402 # 401-19, Kissimmee, FL 34741
Church World Service - Orlando
- Address: 3357 W Vine St, Suite 105, Kissimmee, FL 34741
Lighthouse Ministries
- Address: 215 E Magnolia St, Lakeland, FL 33801
ECS4Kids
- Address: 8649 Baypine Road Ste. 300, Bldg. 7, Jacksonville, FL 32256
Presbyterian Social Ministries, Inc.
- Address: 4115 Post St, Jacksonville, FL 32205
J.Crew - St. John's Town Center
- Address: 4751 River City Drive, Suite 125, Jacksonville, FL 32246
Church World Service - Tampa
- Address: 3609 W Waters Ave, Tampa, FL 33614
Downtown Ecumenical Services Council
- Address: DESC 215 N. Ocean Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202
Foster Youth of America
- Address: 2570 Cypress Tree Trl, Saint Cloud, FL 34772
