What is 'ALICE'?

How Local Organizations Support Community Members in Finding Stability in All Facets of Life

BY KATIE MAHONEY | CHIEF MARKETING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

Dedicated to Quality of Life in York County are hundreds of non-profits driving forward substantiable change. Regardless of specified focus area, the intended audience and goal are the same – support the ALICE population.

ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed – households that are living paycheck to paycheck, or are one emergency away from a financial crisis. With the rising cost of inflation, these households are working sometimes two or three jobs yet still struggling to keep up. In York County, over 450,000 individuals, or 29% of households, fall into this description, compared to the state average of 27%, meaning 1 in 3 households are ALICE.

SURVIVAL BUDGET FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR

COMMUNITY PROGRESS COUNCIL AND UNITED WAY OF YORK COUNTY ARE TWO ORGANIZATIONS LEADING THE AID FOR ‘ALICE’ HOUSEHOLDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

Community Progress Council

No single program can build lasting economic stability. That’s where Community Progress Council steps in. Progress toward economic self-sufficiency requires comprehensive, integrated services.

By focusing on long-term relationships and a coaching model, Community Progress Council empowers people to think beyond an immediate crisis. With their coach as a partner, families build the skills and access resources to build their future story: accessing child care, achieving a driver’s license, a better-paying job, a working budget, nutrition support, continued education, pursuing homeownership and more.

Coaches walk alongside families as they navigate the web of public, private, and non-profit resources. They also help them anticipate barriers, plan for challenges, and weather the unexpected.

“As the largest provider of services in York County to low-income families with children under 5, Community Progress Council has the opportunity to interrupt generational poverty,” says Robin Rohrbaugh, President and CEO of Community Progress Council. “Helping families problem-solve differently and build skills to move toward self-sufficiency means their children have a different experience growing up. They benefit from a whole-family approach, and so does our entire community."

United Way

With a bold goal to assist 8,000 working households to achieve financial stability 2033, United Way of York County is honing their focus on two areas which have emerged as the greatest barriers to keeping working households from financial stability: Childcare and Transportation

CHILDCARE: United Way of York County, along with the YCEA, is an active partner in the creation of ECHO – Every Child Has Opportunities – led by Community Connections for Children – to serve as a catalyst for innovation and a blueprint for addressing the issues that limit opportunities for children, families and educators. [read more on page 6]

TRANSPORTATION: United Way is the convener of dialogue to form a united plan across the community [read more on page 12]

“We can create new, transformational solutions on a broader scale by stepping into these community gaps and pulling together powerful partnerships to measure the collective impact,” says Brian Grimm, President and CEO of United Way of York County

ALICE data is released every two years. The United Way anticipates new data in Summer 2024.

Get Connected

COMMUNITY PROGRESS COUNCIL connects people with resources and support to address your current needs and plan for the future. Navigators are the first person to connect with someone seeking help, then coaches meet you where you are, and connect you to applicable resources. yorkcpc.org I 717-846-4600

UNITED WAY OF YORK COUNTY works in the community to improve people’s lives. unitedway-york.org I 717-843-0957