ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, and represents a growing number of families who are unable to afford the basics of housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and technology. These workers keep our local communities running, while often struggling to keep their own households from financial ruin.
ALICE may be a relative or friend. You may be ALICE. As cashiers, waiters, childcare providers, and other members of our essential workforce, ALICE earns above the Federal Poverty Level but less than what it costs to make ends meet. These struggling households are forced to make impossible choices every day. We feel strongly that no one should have to choose between necessities like child care and healthy food, or transportation and healthcare.
By the Numbers
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More than half of all households in Western Clallam County are below the poverty line or live paycheck to paycheck.
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1 in 3 veterans living with a disability in WA are not able to meet their basic needs.
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The number of Clallam County children in danger of falling into poverty is among the highest in the state.
All of United Way of Clallam County's impact areas support ALICE families and aim to provide the kind of lasting stability that will allow these households to move away from the brink and into lifelong financial security.
A Day in the Life of ALICE
It's 8:00 am: A woman in an abusive relationship waits until her partner leaves for work before calling Healthy Families of Clallam County to discuss her options for leaving.
Healthy Families of Clallam County offers a wide variety of free and confidential services to child and adult survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes. Their crisis line operates 24 hours/day, 365 days/year.
It’s 10:00 am and representatives from Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County have gathered with friends and supporters to dedicate a home. The family moving in helped build it with their own sweat equity and has now gained a crucial degree of financial security.
Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing and home repair to qualified applicants. HFHCC brings people together to help low-income persons realize the dream of homeownership.
It’s 12:00 pm and a single mother walks into the Forks Community Food Bank to access healthy food for her family. Volunteers help her choose a combination of fresh and non perishable items that will feed her children and herself.
Forks Community Food Bank’s purpose is to provide food to individuals and families in Western Clallam County who might struggle to purchase this food themselves.
It’s 1:30 pm and a high school senior joins a FAFSA presentation in an effort to find funding for their college education.
Currently, Clallam County has some of the lowest FAFSA completion scores in the state, which means our students are leaving money on the table. In response, United Way of Clallam County and Peninsula College partnered to create the position of Student Financial Aid Liaison. This role supports high school seniors and returning adult students in finding funding for higher education, career training, and more.
It’s 2:00 pm and a divorced couple enters Peninsula Dispute Resolution Center to get help modifying their parenting agreement without going to court.
Peninsula Dispute Resolution Center (PDRC) is a non-profit organization offering conflict resolution services to residents of Clallam and Jefferson Counties since 1992. Services include mediation, conflict coaching services, youth services, group facilitation and more. Volunteer mediators provide most of their direct services.
It’s 6:00 pm and a previously unhoused disabled veteran sits down to dinner with his housemates in his new permanent, supportive housing unit.
Sarge’s Veterans Support is a nonprofit organization that offers services to veterans facing homelessness. Sarge’s offers emergency shelter in Forks, as well as permanent housing in Forks, Port Angeles, and Sequim.
It’s 8:00 pm and a dad cuddles up with his son to read an award winning book he received for free in the mail from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
In December 2020, United Way of Clallam County partnered with North Olympic Library Foundation and North Olympic Library System to start a local affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The early childhood book-gifting program mails a high-quality, free book each month to children from birth to age five.
Lifting ALICE Up
At United Way, we believe that everyone who lives and works in Clallam County deserves the opportunity not just to live, but to thrive. We support initiative in Youth Opportunity, Financial Security, and Healthy Community to promote resilience, health, and stability for everyone in Clallam County, including ALICE. At every hour of the day, and in every stage of life, we are there leading the change. We provide free books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to our youngest learners. We support those starting college or getting back into the workforce with student financial aid resources. We fund nonprofits with grants to support those who are struggling to pay rent, utilities, and more. Together we are working towards a future where folks can step away from the brink and begin to reach their full potential.