ALICE Support Fund Serves 100th Household
United Way of Gratiot & Isabella Counties is proud to share that our ALICE Support Fund has aided over 100 mid-Michigan households facing financial insecurity. The ALICE Support Fund provides one-time assistance to Gratiot and Isabella County residents in need of rent, mortgage, or utility assistance. ALICE, an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, is a way of defining and understanding the struggles of households that earn above the Federal Poverty Level, but not enough to afford a bare-bones household budget.
“The ALICE Support Fund was established in September 2022 to fill an unmet need in our community. Nearly half of households in Gratiot & Isabella County do not earn enough to consistently cover basic living expenses. United for ALICE data shows that the cost of living is outpacing wages,” says Annie Sanders, President & CEO. 49% of Isabella Households, 47% of Gratiot Households, and 41% across Michigan were below the ALICE Threshold (poverty + ALICE). Though wages for the lowest paid jobs have risen across the country at the fastest rate in four decades, the number of households struggling to get by in Michigan grew by more than 100,400 from 2021 to 2022.
“Creating opportunities for ALICE to thrive is critical to all we do,” says Sanders. ALICE workers are essential to the fabric of our society. ALICE works in jobs that are integral to our communities, from child care educators and home health aides to mechanics – all workers we rely on every day. The future success of our communities is directly tied to the financial stability of ALICE households. When ALICE suffers and is forced to make difficult choices, we all face serious consequences.
What does it mean to a family who receives assistance from the ALICE Support Fund? “It’s very reassuring. I know that if I start to struggle, I know that I can reach out to them and depend on them… I know that if I know anybody who is struggling, that I can refer them to [United Way] and they’ll be able to help them as well,” says Ambrea, a single mom, working in healthcare. Ambrea had just moved into new affordable housing, which exhausted any extra savings she had when she contracted COVID. This meant missing a week’s worth of wages and insecurity about how she would cover rent for the month. Thankfully, with the ALICE Support Fund, she didn’t have to worry about missing rent.
“This milestone means we’ve helped 100 working individuals and families stay in their homes or keep electricity running,” says Brittany Stoneman, Community Impact Manager, and ALICE Support Fund manager. “We are able to assist these households thanks to the generous support of donors and grant funding.” In December 2023, we received a $50,000 grant from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation. “Getting to 100 wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Dow Foundation. Their funding bolstered our efforts and was a turning point in the success of our program.”
Our team is dedicated to uplifting ALICE in our community and we are grateful for the many ways our community has come alongside us to carry out this work. “Our next goal is to expand into offering transportation assistance. Living in a rural area, we know that reliable transportation is critical for getting to work, school, medical appointments, and more,” says Stoneman.
By addressing financial security through initiatives like the ALICE Support Fund, United Way not only supports individual families in navigating economic challenges but also contributes to the broader goal of building resilient communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Learn more at uwgic.org/alice.
MICHIGAN 211
Referring to 2-1-1 is the first step for supporting ALICE. Michigan 2-1-1 is a free service that connects Michigan residents with help from health and human services agencies and resources right in their community—quickly, easily, and confidentially. What’s more, 2-1-1 uses statistical data from calls and web visits to help shed light on the nature of social needs in Michigan for government officials and decision-makers across the state.