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 more than 1,500 local nonprofit organizations across the country. All 501c3 organizations in good standing with the IRS and school are eligible to receive free coats. Coats must be distributed for free and without discrimination. One Warm Coat provides warmth for our nonprofit partners’ clients, enabling them to direct their valuable resources to their primary mission.
Last year, One Warm Coat facilitated the collection and distribution of nearly 500,000 coats through more than 4,600 coat drives, yet more than 60% of our partners reported they did not receive enough coats to provide to the people they serve.
Despite this already tremendous need, the outlook for this fall and winter is bleak. Due to continued economic uncertainty, rising inflation, and government funding cuts, 84% of our nonprofit partners anticipate greater need for support this year.
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 2020. (7)
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 year. (9)
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 budget. (5) Families living in poverty are at greater risk of becoming homeless. (9)
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 income. (9)
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 medication. (5)
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 reported. (9)