We believe that improving life for all starts with improving life for ALICE^®.

An acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, ALICE represents the growing number of individuals and families who are working, but are unable to afford the basic necessities of housing, food, child care, health care, and transportation. Nearly 890,000 New Jersey households – and a quarter of our northern New Jersey neighbors – live in this precarious situation: above the poverty level, but below a basic level of self-sufficiency.

ALICE workers are essential to the fabric of our society. ALICE is the child care educator who prepares your child for the future, the home health aides who care for your loved one, and the mechanic who fixes your car, ensuring you are safe out on the road.

When ALICE suffers and is forced to make difficult choices, we all face serious consequences. United Way is working to shine a light on this hidden population that is so critical to the stability of our communities. We are looking beyond temporary fixes to find solutions that result in long-term, sustainable change for individuals and families. Our focus on three areas – Education, Income, and Health – helps ALICE at three key points – now, in the near term, and with an eye to a better and more stable future.