Meet Alice

There is a misconception that food-insecure individuals are lazy, entitled, uneducated, unemployed, or homeless. While a very small percentage of individuals fit this description, the majority of families faced with food insecurity are working-class families, referred to by the United Way as ALICE — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — earning above the Federal Poverty Level yet struggling to afford all the basics, such as housing, childcare, education, food, transportation, health care, technology, and taxes. 

ALICE households:

• Span all races, ages, ethnicities, and abilities, though households of color are disproportionately ALICE
• Includes workers whose wages cannot keep up with the rising cost of goods and services
• Often include those who are working two or more jobs and still cannot pay their bills
• Include family members who need care and assistance, which makes it harder for their caregivers to find adequate work
• Live paycheck to paycheck and are forced to make impossible choices: pay the rent or buy food, receive medical care or pay for child care, pay utility bills, or put gas in the car.
• Are part of every community nationwide

ALICE may be your relative, friend, colleague, or neighbor, or you might be ALICE. ALICE may also be your health care provider, teacher, retail clerk, or sanitation worker. ALICE workers are the backbone of our economy, and we need ALICE.