Currently, 37 million, or 11% of all Americans are living in poverty and struggling to afford basic necessities.
“When low-income households spend more than half their income on housing, they have little if any money to spend on other necessities, such as food, childcare, transportation, and healthcare.”
National Low Income Housing Coalition
Facts About The Cold
Tovi Martin, Director of Communications for Crisis Assistance Ministry, explains who their organization serves and what a coat means to them.
Who needs a coat?
One Warm Coat provides warmth to people in need through a network of 2,000 local nonprofit organizations across the country. All IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in good standing, as well as schools, are eligible to receive free coats. Coats are distributed free of charge and without discrimination. By helping provide this essential resource, One Warm Coat enables nonprofit partners to direct more of their limited resources toward their core missions.
Last year, One Warm Coat facilitated the collection and distribution of nearly 500,000 coats through 5,300 coat drives. Despite this significant impact, 60% of our nonprofit partners reported they still did not receive enough coats to meet the needs of the people they serve.
The need continues to grow. Nearly 70% of our nonprofit partners reported serving more individuals last winter compared with the previous year due to ongoing economic uncertainty, rising inflation, increased unemployment, and reduced services resulting from government funding cuts.
There is a tremendous — and growing — need for coats.
1 in 6 children
1 in 6 children in America is living in poverty. Poverty in children increased from 14.4 in 2019 to 16.1% in 20207.
The National Center for Homeless Education reports that 1.5 million students enrolled in public school districts experienced homelessness during the course of the 2016-2017 school year9.
7.3 Million Families
7.3 million families are living in poverty. For poor families and individuals, the winter months are more expensive and a present a bigger strain on their budget5. Families living in poverty are at greater risk of becoming homeless9.
1 million Veterans
More than 1 million Veterans are living in poverty. The poverty rate of veterans is nearing 7% (6) Additionally, Veterans are often faced with many obstacles when they return to civilian life that put them at risk for homelessness including difficulties finding affordable housing and earning a livable income9.
25 million Seniors
25 million seniors are living in poverty. Many seniors do not have enough income and money saved to pay for a safe and stable place to live and other necessities such as food, utilities, and medication5.
People Experiencing Homelessness
Homelessness rates jumped by double digits in 2024. More than 771,800 people lived in the U.S. without housing in 2024, according to a count taken annually on a single night in January, which is 18% higher than in 2023. This number is likely much higher than reported9.
Citations:
1: (2016) PLOS ONE 2015
2: Troullos, E. Baird, L. Jayawardena,S. (2014) Common Cold Symptoms in Children. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 12
3: Cool Antarctica. 2018. Cold Weather and Health – How do cold temperatures affect health and well being? – The dangers of cold.
4: Harrar; Roberts. 2018. Why the Risk of Heart Attack Rise in Winter. Consumer Reports.
5: SEMEGA, J; KOLLAR, M; CREAMER, J, and MOHANTY, A. 2019. Income and Poverty in the United States: 2018. United States Census Bureau.
6. 2015. Veteran Poverty Trends. United States Department of Veteran Affairs.
7. Income and Poverty in the United States: 2020. United States Census Bureau.
8. Statista. Number of families living below the poverty line in the U.S. from 1990 to 2020. 2022
9. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
10. The CDC. Winter Weather.