COVINGTON, Ky. — Across the country, coat drives are frequently happening as more Americans than ever lack the Winter clothing they need to keep warm. St. Vincent de Paul Northern Kentucky hosted its 23rd annual coat drive, to help families combat chilly weather. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Supplemental Poverty Measure rate in 2022 was 12.4%, an increase of 4.6 percentage points from 2021

  • According to the U.S Census Bureau, in 2022, 12.4% of Americans lived in poverty

  • This is St. Vincent De Paul's 23rd annual coat drive

  • Jack Alig has volunteered with the organization for nearly five years

Long time Covington native and volunteer, Jack Alig has been volunteering with St. Vincent de Paul for over five years. His motto is “Give a hand when you can.” 

“I’m in Covington a lot and there are a lot of people that I see shivering and they’re cold. The winters get tough, so they need help,” he shared.

Alig says his personal experience led him to give back. 

“When I grew up, our family, we had everything but a lot of things we had to work hard for. And We were fortunate to have people help us out in times of need,” said Alig. 

Alig and Karen Zengel, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul, stress the stigma that only unhoused people need access to clothing is false.

“People we get at the coat drives are not homeless,” Alig explained. “There are some homeless, but these are people that don’t have the wherewithal to have the finer coats that a lot of us have.”

“There are a lot of families within our community who are living paycheck to paycheck. And so anyone who is in need of a coat, it may have felt like they needed to sacrifice that just to meet their basic obligations we want them to come see us,” Zengel added.

The need for coats coincides with data from the U.S. Census Bureau showing the poverty rate shot up dramatically in 2022. For the first time in more than a decade more Americans don’t have enough resources to meet their basic need, which makes coat drives essential. 

The Supplemental Poverty Measure rate in 2022 was 12.4%, an increase of 4.6 percentage points from 2021.

Alig says they try to make the experience exactly like regular shopping. He says the volunteers set the racks up based on male, female, and children's coats. Each rack carries a size, small, medium and large.

“Just like going into a Macy’s,” he said.

Of course, it doesn’t have the stress of having to pay. He says he just wants to spread joy.

“For them to get a coat and see the joy in their face is great,” Alig shared.

Thanks to volunteers at St. Vincent de Paul, many Northern Kentucky families can get through this winter without the stress of not having a coat.

St. Vincent de Paul Northern Kentucky distributed coats at four locations this month. They are on track to reach their goal of giving out 4,000 coats this winter. 

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