They’re the people who open the coffee shop before sunrise, care for our loved ones, fix our cars, and teach our kids. They’re essential to our community and yet many of them are one unexpected expense away from crisis.
We call them ALICE, households that are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed. They earn above the federal poverty level but still can’t afford the basics: housing, childcare, healthcare, food, and transportation.
ALICE isn’t an abstract acronym. It’s Maria, a cashier by day and caregiver by night, stretching every dollar to keep the lights on. It’s James, a single dad working two jobs to cover rent and school supplies. It’s Janice, a retiree whose fixed income doesn’t stretch as far as it used to.
These are the faces of resilience.
Why ALICE Matters
ALICE households represent nearly one in three families in Summit and Medina counties. These families don’t qualify for traditional assistance but still struggle to meet Ohio’s basic cost of living. And when emergencies hit like a medical bill, a flat tire, a missed paycheck they have nowhere to turn.
That’s where we step in.
We don’t just respond to crises. We build systems that make it easier for ALICE families to find help, build stability, and plan for the future. Because everyone deserves more than survival, they deserve the opportunity to thrive.
Real Support, Right Here
Our work isn’t theoretical. It’s happening every day through direct services and community partnerships that place help within reach.
At our Financial Empowerment Centers, families receive free one-on-one financial counseling to learn the tools they need to manage debt, increase savings, and build credit. Through housing initiatives, we connect people with safe, stable homes. Our 211 helpline operates 24/7 to link residents with local resources like childcare, food, or emergency assistance.
These programs aren’t isolated efforts; they’re part of an ecosystem of care. When someone calls us about a utility shutoff, we don’t stop there, we help them access budgeting support, job coaching, and long-term solutions.
Building Pathways to Stability
Through our community’s Bold Goals, we’re tackling the root causes that keep families trapped in financial stress.
- Bold Goals 1 and 2 focus on education and youth success ensuring the next generation of families have more opportunities than their parents did
- Bold Goal 3: Financial Empowerment aims to help 11,000 people in Summit County and 2,500 in Medina County gain financial stability
- And through Bold Goal 4: Healthy Babies, we’re helping parents bring their children into the world healthy and supported
Each goal connects to the other because when a parent has financial stability, their child can focus on learning, and their household has a foundation for lasting success.
When you look beyond the data, ALICE is about people who refuse to give up. It’s about mothers choosing between rent and medicine, fathers skipping meals so their kids don’t have to, and young adults juggling work and school just to stay afloat.
We stand with them not just in words, but in action. We listen. We collaborate. We create programs that don’t just meet needs but open doors.
Because when ALICE families rise, the whole community rises with them.
How You Can Help
The strength of our community depends on all of us. Whether through volunteering, donating, or simply sharing ALICE’s story, your support makes a real difference.
Together, we can build a community where working families don’t have to choose between basic needs and a better future a community where every person has the opportunity to build a fulfilling, healthy life.