NEW ORLEANS – A trip to the “Birthplace of Jazz” brought together more than 575 individuals from across the country earlier this month to discuss one centralized topic that has been a pillar of United Way work for years: ALICE.
ALICE is an acronym that stands for “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.” These are hard-working individuals and families that earn above the Federal Poverty Level, but not enough to afford a basic household budget.
For three days in February, the “In Step For ALICE” National ALICE Summit brought together nonprofit and corporate leaders with one specific goal in mind: To learn how to drive change for those who fall under the ALICE threshold. The summit consisted of guest speakers and panelists such as ex NFL star, Tiki Barber, best-selling author Steve Pemberton, and Strategic Communications Consultant Sara Bishop.
“While the attendance was majority United Ways, it was promising to see those outside of the network that were there- people from government to for-profits and more,” said Natalie O’Hagan, Senior Director of Strategy and Innovation for UWSCMI. “It was an affirmation that ALICE doesn’t only resonate with us, but with our government, politicians, and companies, and with that, we can all get behind ALICE and make a difference.”
Breakout sessions delved deep into topics related to the barriers that exist for ALICE, including mental health supports, transportation, housing, childcare, food distribution, employment, education, equity, policy and more. UWSCMI’s O’Hagan and Bayane Alem, Associate Director of Impact & Innovation, presented alongside partners at United Way of Northern New Jersey (UWNNJ). They introduced United for ALICE@Work, a project developed in partnership with UWNNJ to help employers support ALICE.
Their presentations gave an overview of what United Way of Northern New Jersey and United Way of South Central Michigan have been building over the past three years. United For ALICE at Work provides participants with best practices and offers powerful examples from the lives and careers of ALICE workers. The six-series course provides tangible benefits, helping employers improve their bottom line and quality of the workplace through topics such as benefits and compensation, flexible scheduling, financial wellness, professional development, and work supports and resources.
In the coming months, UWSCMI will work with UWNNJ to expand this offering to partner United Ways across the U.S.
The summit concluded with United Way of Northern New Jersey President and CEO, Kiran Handa Gaudioso, discussing how outdated the Federal Poverty Line is. She went on to mention that with data such as the ALICE Report, we can paint a bigger picture and should be reevaluating the benchmark that policy makers and government officials are using for the support people receive.
UWSCMI’s Alem said the three days inspired a lot of excitement for the future of United For ALICE@Work. “The summit was a culmination of a lot of years of work, but also it was great to see that so many United Ways are joined together around ALICE and are finding meaning in our role and our vision for community.”
For more information on United For ALICE@Work visit us at aliceatwork.org/about/united-for-alice-at-work.php.