Search results for: ALICE
Knowing ALICE: Jakaria’s Story
Building a better life isn’t easy. ALICE* households are reminded of this fact every day. But as Jakaria’s story reveals, having the right people and help available can forge a pathway to success. “I was in an apartment that I liked, and it was a good price and location, but it was infested with roaches,…
Read MoreALICE 2020 Needs You
We’ve all faced an inconvenient expense. Your car battery dies. One of your kids is sick and can’t go to school. You’ve got a cavity that needs fixing. Now imagine you’re living paycheck to paycheck, just barely keeping up with your bills. Suddenly, that inconvenience becomes a crisis. That’s the reality for 61,000 households in…
Read MoreALICE is
ALICE is Sasha and Davis. Davis earns $40,000 a year as a long-haul truck driver. Sasha stays home alone with their two children, ages 1 and 3, while Davis is on the road. Sasha had to quit her job at the coffee shop because child care costs were more than she earned. They manage to…
Read MoreALICE
Working hard but struggling to get by. That’s ALICE. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—working people who earn above the Federal Poverty Level but not enough to afford a bare-bones household budget. These households struggle to manage even their most basic needs, such as housing, food, transportation, child care, health care and other…
Read MoreTalking about ALICE
Let’s talk about ALICE. Let’s talk about what it means to be Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed. Let’s talk about the challenges faced by 4 in 10 households in our region—hard-working households that still struggle to make ends meet. Let’s talk about the difficulty they face in trying to better their lives when 61%…
Read MoreStill Struggling: ALICE Report Shows 40% at Risk Financially
Four of every 10 households in the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo region are either in poverty or barely getting by financially, a new report on Michigan’s working families reveals. The Michigan Association of United Ways (MAUW) has released a study on the condition of Michigan’s working families, which it has dubbed ALICE households—those that are…
Read MoreOur Vision: ALICE Doesn't Live Here Anymore
“Why, sometimes I’ve believed in six impossible things before breakfast.” – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland [Editor’s note: The following blog is by Chris Sargent, Interim CEO for United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region] Over a year ago, our United Way put forth a vision for the region: A vibrant community…
Read MoreNo Wonderland: ALICE Still Struggling
Forty percent of households in Michigan, including more than 58,000 households in the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo region, can’t afford basic household necessities. That sobering fact comes from the recently updated ALICE report, released today by the Michigan Association of United Ways. “United Way is shining a light on the magnitude of ALICE – a…
Read MoreHave You Met ALICE?
There are 39,611 ALICE households in Calhoun and Kalamazoo County and more than 1.54 million households in the State of Michigan according to the recent United Way ALICE Report released by local United Ways. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These are households earning more than the official U.S. poverty level but less…
Read MoreImpact Report 2021
Download the full 2021 Impact Report En Español Since the outbreak of COVID-19, I’ve seen countless examples of compassion, resilience and strength from across the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo region. These examples share a common theme: unity. When we come together to face tough times, we do amazing things. United Way has grown stronger, too,…
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