I am your friend. I am your neighbor. I have a job, maybe even two or a side hustle. Yet, I still struggle to make ends meet. I am ALICE.
I grew up in a family where playing a game of cards was often how we passed the time together and entertained friends. Not from Indiana originally, I wasn’t introduced to Euchre until my 20s; however, I know a thing or two about Gin Rummy, Canasta, Phase 10 and Poker. Thinking back, it really began with my grandparents. They played together on lazy Sunday afternoons, sipping coffee in the sunroom. They were relentless competitors against friends at the Senior Center. And, they routinely played with their grandchildren during summer visits. Cards became a carefree way for our two distant generations to bond, learn and make memories.
No matter your age, gender or race, in the game of life you have to play the hand you’re dealt. Some people fall into lucky cards; others are left with a pair of twos. For many, experience and education can help them play a losing hand like a winner. For others, a tough hand is just that – tough.
There are too many Hoosiers right now who might feel they’re one bad card away from losing it all. In Central Indiana 237,000 households cannot afford the basics of housing, childcare, food, transportation, healthcare, and technology. They are living in poverty or ALICE. ALICE, an acronym that stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, is a way of defining our families, neighbors, and colleagues who work hard, earn above the federal poverty level, but not enough to afford a basic household budget.
ALICE represents individuals of all ages and races who get up each day to go to work, but aren’t sure if they’ll be able to make ends meet. They are playing with the best hand they can with the cards they’ve been dealt. ALICE may not be who you expect.
Meet DJ.
In college, DJ worked two jobs on top of his classes. It was tough, but he was committed to finishing school and building the life he wanted. DJ recently graduated and secured his first post-college job. But even with his degree, he was barely making enough to get by. DJ began driving for Uber in his spare time to earn extra money. He worked overtime whenever possible and reluctantly borrowed money from friends and family to make ends meet. He couldn’t afford health insurance or anything that wasn’t absolutely critical.
DJ remembers the dread he felt when he found out his car needed a costly repair. Not only could he not afford the fix, he would miss out on the much-needed extra income he earned as an Uber driver if his car wasn’t in good repair. “When you need help, help is not always there,” DJ says. “I had to step outside my comfort zone and ask people I would never imagine asking for help.”
With the support of community-based organizations, DJ got a lead on a new job, found resources to create a budget that allowed him to pay off his debt, and learned about a certification program that would help become more financially stable. DJ is no longer ALICE but still considers his situation fragile and knows how to better maneuver with the hand he’s been given.
DJ is not alone. Choices aside, sometimes we step into trouble.
Like many other 20 and 30 somethings, the high price of rent and crippling student loan and credit card debt can make it difficult to get ahead and stay ahead. Many cannot rely on the generosity and security of parents and relatives to keep them from falling into crisis.
Others are new to our city, with no network or “squad” to rely on.
Over 108,000 individuals or households, where the “head-of-house” is between the ages of 18-44, are ALICE or in poverty in central Indiana. And, like DJ, ALICE households are forced to make difficult choices such as skipping preventative health care, accredited childcare, healthy food or car insurance. These “savings” threaten their health, safety, and future – and they reduce our community’s economic productivity.
At United Way of Central Indiana, we invest in research that informs us about community need. In partnership with Indiana United Ways, we are using the 2018 ALICE Report® to help shape programs and policies in local communities throughout the state. It is an alternative to the outdated Federal Poverty Level, which grossly underestimates the number of struggling families. By bringing together business, government, nonprofit and faith- based leaders, including volunteers, many communities are working toward creative solutions to better support the needs of these hard-working individuals.
United Way is a proud to return for the third year as a sponsor and exhibitor of IndyVolved 14. We believe our community can be a safety net for Hoosiers who are ALICE and or in poverty. We want you to join our fight.
Register today for IndyVolved 13 presented by Indianapolis Power & Light Company and visit us on June 13 at our first-floor activation to try your hand at a game of cards. What will you do when the hand you’ve been dealt?
About the Author: Ashleigh Resetarits is the Manager of Strategic Market Engagement at United Way of Central Indiana where she works to connect the next generation of philanthropists, volunteers and advocates to meaningful opportunities for impact in our community.
