United Way of Pennsylvania
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UWP Special Edition - ALICEĀ® Report Launch - June 18, 2019

Click on the image above to read the full 2019 ALICE Report for Pennsylvania

United Way of Pennsylvania Launched the ALICEĀ® Report for Pennsylvania!

Two years in the making, United Way of Pennsylvania's 2019 ALICE Report for Pennsylvania is a data project that redefines what financial struggle means across the state.  It encompasses all 67 counties of the Commonwealth, parsing out the data on a local level. 
 
The statewide results show that 24% of Pennsylvanians earn above the Federal Poverty Level, but still struggle to buy even the most basic household necessities. Combined with the 13% of our population living below the FPL, a full 37% of Pennsylvanians live a daily battle to make ends meet. That's over 1.8 million households. 

ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE are hard-working members of our community who we depend upon every day: child care workers, nursing assistants, laborers in infrastructure, customer service representatives; the list goes on. Without ALICE, the standard of living we all enjoy would not be possible.   
 
United Ways across Pennsylvania are leading the charge to raise awareness about the plight of ALICE in the state, and affect advocacy and social programs designed to help ALICE. We are forging new partnerships with public and private organizations, in order to create innovative solutions that will benefit ALICE, and our communities at large, in the long-term. To learn more or take action to support ALICE, please visit Uwp.org/ALICE.


ALICE Overview Video

ALICE Overview Video
ALICE Overview Video

Click on the video thumbnail above to learn about what ALICE is, why ALICE matters, and the statistics for ALICE in Pennsylvania.

United Way of Pennsylvania's ALICE Website




United Way of Pennsylvania created  Uwp.org/ALICE in order to educate the public about ALICE, providing a centralized repository of valuable resources. 
  • On the principal ALICE page, visitors can read the full Report and County Sheets, and see an interactive map of the state with information on ALICE in each county. 
  • The advocacy page will outline UWP's priorities for ALICE, and provide opportunities for constituents to email their local lawmakers in order to speak out on issues related to ALICE. 
  • On the videos page, users can watch a collection of short videos that illustrate who ALICE is, and why ALICE matters.
  • The  ALICE Experience page offers visitors the chance to live a day in the life of ALICE, through an interactive virtual adventure. 
Please follow the links to learn more about ALICE, and the ways you can make a difference in ALICE's life!

ALICE in Pennsylvania Interactive Map

Click on the above image (then scroll down) to view the ALICE in Pennsylvania Interactive Map. 

ALICE Household Survival Budget


The ALICE Household Survival Budget identifies the minimum cost option for each of the basic household items needed to live and work in Pennsylvania's current economy. In the 2019 ALICE Report for Pennsylvania County Budget Sheets, you can find this budget broken down for each PA county. 

The ALICE Experience



Click on the image above to live The ALICE Experience, an interactive virtual adventure that lets you live a day in the life of ALICE. This project was completed in partnership with Harrisburg University.


ALICE Launch Event in the Capitol Rotunda on June 18th 

United Way of Pennsylvania launched the ALICE Project in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, June 18th, at 10:00am, in the main rotunda of the PA State Capitol building. Media outlets covered the event, and speakers outlined the reasons that the Project was undertaken, highlights from the Report, and next steps we can all take to stand behind ALICE in Pennsylvania. 

The ALICE Launch was live streamed on Facebook and live tweeted on Twitter - you can check our feeds to watch the recording of the press release or read a play-by-play summary. 

Advocacy Agenda for ALICE

There is no single solution that will alleviate the difficulties that ALICE households face across the state; however, United Way of Pennsylvania has identified some key areas that, when focused on in tandem, can make a positive impact for the 37% of Pennsylvanians who are ALICE. 

Transportation that can be depended upon is vital to ALICE, so they are able to get to work and take care of their households. Families spend up to 25% of their household budget on transportation in metro areas, and up to 36% in rural parts of the state.

Housing is an essential need directly impacting ALICE's well-being, but  many ALICE households find it difficult to obtain affordable housing. This leaves many people to live in accommodations that are less than desirable for their family. For ALICE, housing represents 17% of the household budget for a family of four, and 34% for a single adult.

Child care allows ALICE households, who almost always need two incomes, to go to work every day. But, it represents the largest portion of the household budget for most ALICE families. Child care costs in PA average $1,200 per month for two children in licensed, home-based care, or $1,400 per month in a high-quality child care center.

Workforce Development is critical for ALICE because 59% of jobs in PA pay less than $20 per hour, with more than half of those paying between $10 and $15 per hour. Only three of the top 20 occupations employing the most people in the state pay enough to support the average Pennsylvania family at a survival level. 

PA 2-1-1 is the most comprehensive source of community information in the state, informing the public where they can go to access health and human services in their communities. As the ALICE Threshold is a fluid boundary, which families can fall below suddenly, due to an emergency, this service is a useful resource. 
PA 2-1-1 is the place many people turn to when they have never had to ask for help before. More than 200,000 Pennsylvanians contacted PA 2-1-1 for help in 2018. 

United Way of Pennsylvania will be advocating on behalf of ALICE with policymakers at the federal, state, and local level. However, it will take more than government to help ALICE. We understand that cross-sector solutions are necessary to have the greatest impact in the lives of ALICE. That means United Way of Pennsylvania and local United Ways across the Commonwealth will be collaborating with community partners, nonprofit organizations, private business, and government to come together to address solutions for ALICE. 

Please visit our ALICE Advocacy webpage to learn more about our priorities.

Contact Information

If you are interested in learning more about the 2019 ALICE Project in Pennsylvania, please contact the following United Way of Pennsylvania representatives:

President, United Way of Pennsylvania

Director of Public Policy, United Way of Pennsylvania
 


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