ALICE® stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — a large population of hardworking residents who work at low-paying jobs, have little or no savings and are one emergency away from falling into poverty.
Tatiana is the mother of two boys, a teenager and a preschooler. Like many parents, her days consist of caring for her children; ensuring they are safe, housed, and supported. They live in Wayne County, North Carolina, where Tatiana works as a server in a restaurant. Tatiana has generally been able to provide for her family, but in the service industry, income is dependent on consistent business and showing up for work. As a single mother of two, there are times when showing up for her children and their various needs may have to be prioritized over going into work that day. If she misses work, the paycheck disappears with it.
In Wayne County, North Carolina, nearly half of households (48%) live below the ALICE Threshold. These households consist of hard-working individuals, yet they are often still faced with challenges affording housing, food, childcare, transportation, healthcare, and many of life's other expenses. Tatiana is one of them – earning enough to get by most months but living with no safety net to fall back on in emergencies.
Last summer, Tatiana’s three-year-old son was hospitalized for a week. She had no choice but to miss work. With her rent being $1,200 per month, she quickly fell behind. What was once manageable soon felt overwhelming. Unsure where to turn, she dialed NC 211. This call allowed Tatiana to get connected with local resources through United Way of Wayne County, where she met with her community case worker, Yamille.
Yamille provided a warm welcome to Tatiana and reassured her that she was not alone in her situation. Tatiana was introduced to several resources that support individuals with financial relief while navigating living expenses in times of need. United Way of Wayne County’s United Community Assistance Network (U-CAN) was able to provide Tatiana with financial assistance in paying her rent. Through NC 211 information referrals, Salvation Army and Saint Vincent De Paul also supported Tatiana by covering remaining balances, helping her gain additional stability. The combination of resources and partnerships facilitated by United Way of Wayne County prevented Tatiana and her children from losing their home in a time of crisis.
Unfortunately, even stability is fragile when you’re living paycheck to paycheck. Tatiana experienced a massive hit to her budget when her vehicle was severely damaged due to highway debris. This set her back financially yet again. She was looking forward to being on a straight path to growing her savings while also paying her bills, but unexpected payments such as this easily forced her back into a position to make difficult decisions.
Currently, Tatiana is working to grow her financial literacy and better understand the ways of saving and budgeting. Since forming a relationship with United Way of Wayne County, Tatiana has become invested in the ALICE conversation and urges those in similar connections to ask for help and continue moving forward despite financial hardships.