It’s Day 3 of Impact Week at United Way of South Central Michigan, and today we are taking a closer look at what’s happening in the Capital Area (Eaton, Ingham, and Clinton counties).
ALICE* data tells us that overall, 79,611 households across the three counties – 42 percent – are struggling financially, living either in poverty or below the ALICE threshold. See the overall data points for Clinton, Ingham and Eaton counties in our ALICE county profiles library. But the data goes much deeper than just the overall numbers. Looking at demographics and individual budget items for a typical family or individual allows us to better see specific areas of need in the Capital Area, and helps us determine where donor dollars will have the greatest impact. It helps us adjust our programming and investments to meet the needs of our community.
Here are two examples of where ALICE data has informed our work in the Capital Area:
Making College a Reality for Students of Color
The Data: In Lansing (Northwest Ingham County), 99 percent of Black children are living below the ALICE threshold, with adults who are working hard but struggling to make ends meet each month.
Our Work: UWSCMI is proud to serve as the home of the Capital Area College Access Network (CapCAN), which aims to increase post-secondary education enrollment for students of color, first generation college students and ALICE students. CapCAN provides college advising and application supports to approximately 2,700 students per year.
Providing free tax preparation
The Data: In the Capital Area there are more than 38,000 total children living below the ALICE threshold.
Our Work: The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program operated by UWSCMI is a critical resource for these households. It provides no-cost tax preparation assistance to ALICE families, ensuring they get the maximum tax credits – such as the Child Tax Credit – that they are entitled to. In the 2021 tax year, nearly 3,900 households were served by trained, IRS-certified community volunteers. Our community of VITA volunteers helped bring over $5.4 million dollars back into the community through the tax returns completed, and saved the households served nearly $850,000 in tax preparation fees.
CapCAN and VITA are just two United Way-run programs doing critical work and moving toward solutions in the Capital Area. In addition to this work, we invest in and partner with more than a dozen other community organizations, all working to improve heath, education, and financial stability outcomes for individuals and families who are ALICE or living in poverty.
Your donation helps support these programs and investments. Please consider a gift to United Way this month.
*ALICE = Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed