RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — A new report from United Way of North Carolina is shining a spotlight on ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. This growing demographic consists of working individuals and families who earn above the federal poverty level but still struggle to afford basic necessities like housing, childcare, food, transportation and healthcare.
David Mercado, Senior Director of Operations for United Way of North Carolina, says their report takes the average income of a family based on the census and brings it all together.
“And it shows them what could they be able to survive looking at the median of what people can have in their home. Everything from rent, utilities, car insurance, everything and it divides it by what your income is in household and then that’s how it determines who is ALICE eligible,” said Mercado.
United Way of North Carolina has been mobilizing communities for nearly five decades with a mission to help individuals, families, and entire communities thrive. The latest data underscores how precarious financial stability is for many North Carolinians — especially those who don’t have two to three months of savings.
“Let’s say somebody is living paycheck to paycheck and all of a sudden their car has four tires pop or their transmission goes,” said Mercado. “At that point they aren’t able to support their family.”
To assist ALICE families, United Way operates a 24/7 information and referral service where community resource specialists connect people with local help. According to Mercado, the system is designed to respond quickly.
“Our current hold time is less than 10 seconds, 24 hours a day. [Callers] provide their ZIP code, and we can provide them with resources in their area they can partner with to get the assistance that they need,” said Mercado.
United Way is also piloting a new tool called My Friend Ben in collaboration with Code the Dream. The online resource offers a confidential way for users to assess their eligibility for various forms of state assistance — both short- and long-term.
“Once you go into there, it would ask you certain demographics of your own, everything is private and it would show you what state resources you qualify for long-term and short-term,” said Mercado.
United Way of North Carolina’s vision is rooted in building thriving communities through equitable access to resources — and their ALICE initiative is one more step toward bridging the growing gap between hard work and economic security.