Coat drives near Hackensack

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 Hackensack 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.

J.Crew Garden State Plaza #537
- Address: 1 Garden State Plaza #2161, Paramus, NJ, 07652

Touched By an Angel
- Address: 31 Chestnut St, Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660

East Rutherford Memorial Library
- Address: 143 Boiling Springs Ave, East Rutherford, NJ, 07073

United Passaic Organization
- Address: 1 Howe Ave., Suite 301, Passaic, NJ 07055

UMR New Jersey
- Address: 7900 Kennedy Blvd, North Bergen, NJ 07047

EverLasting Life Foundation Ministry
- Address: 221 E 26Th St, Paterson, NJ 07514

Fort Tryon Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing
- Address: 801 W 190Th St, New York, NY 10040

HS&H Outreach Services
- Address: 900 Main Street, Suite A, Paterson, NJ 07503

Middle School 322
- Address: 4600 Broadway, New York, NY 10040

Boys and Girls Club of Paterson
- Address: 264 21St Ave, Paterson, NJ 07501

First Calvary Baptist Church of Harlem
- Address: 469 W 148Th Street, New York, NY 10031

UFBCO
- Address: 474 West 159Th Street, New York, NY 10032

Grace Granting Resources And Community Enrichment Inc.
- Address: 1648 Amsterdam Avenue Frnt 1 Unit #61, New York, NY 10031

PS005M
- Address: 3703 10Th Ave, New York, NY 10034

Harlem United- New Broadway Shelter
- Address: 540 West 126 Street, New York, NY 10027

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