ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE households earn above the Federal Poverty Line, but do not earn enough to afford a bare-bones household budget.
ALICE is your child care worker, the cashier at your supermarket, the gas attendant, the salesperson at your big box store, your waitress, a home health aide, an office clerk.
ALICE cannot always pay the bills, has little or nothing in savings, and is forced to make tough choices such as deciding between quality child care or paying the rent. One unexpected car repair or medical bill can push these financially strapped families over the edge.
We see ALICE every day in the SAW Region. On average 41% of our neighbors live below the ALICE threshold. That equates to 19,910 households who are below the ALICE threshold in Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County combined.
