
Have You Met ALICE?
You may not know it, but the answer is yes. In fact, you know many ALICEs.
ALICE is a United Way acronym that stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. The term ALICE stems from an in-depth study conducted by United Way in eighteen states, Ohio included. The ALICE study worked to uncover the true number of households struggling, over and above those who live in poverty. The study challenged existing methods for measuring “poverty” and revealed a problem far more serious and prevalent. The results shed light on the actual number of households who do not earn enough to afford a bare bones household budget. Before this study, ALICE was a population and community issue without a name or face.
A Total of 30% of Lake County Households Struggle to Afford Basic Needs
- 7% of Lake County households live in poverty while a significant 23% fall within the ALICE threshold.* The combined total of 30% represents the total of all Lake County households living below the ALICE Threshold. These are the households struggling to survive.
- Adults and children go without needed medical care, dental care, and medication
- Families are unable to put food on the table
- Households go without heat and electricity
- Jobs are lost due to an inability to afford transportation and gas
- And these are just a few of the challenges our friends and neighbors in need face