In Lee and Harnett Counties, we all know ALICE®.
ALICE is the cashier who checks you out at the grocery store.
ALICE is the daycare worker who cares for your children.
ALICE is the waiter at your favorite restaurant.
ALICE may be you or someone you love.
ALICE stands for Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed. These are fellow North Carolinians who earn above the federal poverty level but less than the basic cost of living. In our local community (Lee and Harnett Counties), 29% of households are ALICE, and 15% live below the poverty line. That's 44% of our neighbors who struggle to afford the basics--things like rent, food, healthcare, childcare, and transportation.
ALICE individuals are the essential workers that all of us depend on every day. But every month, they have to make impossible choices: rent or medical bills? Food or childcare? Fix the car or pay the utility bill? And in times of crisis or natural disaster, these families are even more vulnerable.
United Way of Lee County envisions a community where ALICE families have enough income to afford basic necessities and can also save for the future. Through programs like Barrier Busters and partnerships with local stakeholders, United Way of Lee County helps ALICE families work toward achieving economic stability. When this happens, everyone benefits; an increase in financially stable families positively affects our local economy and quality of life for all.
Download the full ALICE report for North Carolina here.
Download the Lee County snapshot report here.
Download the Harnett County snapshot report here.
Visit the ALICE North Carolina Research Center here.