Our Work

1 in 4 households /  43,860 -------- 25%

What happens when ends don't meet?

To manage their day-to-day survival, families on the edge of survival often use short-term strategies that are detrimental in the long run. These families are our neighbors and they have to make difficult choices to reduce their expenses—such as missing a visit to the doctor, skipping meals, or not making critical bill payments—any of which may have long-term consequences such as poor performance in school, poor health, major debt, and larger bills in the future.

Why are working people financially unstable?

“Indiana’s cost of living is beyond what most jobs in the state can provide to working households.”

– ALICE™ Study of Financial Hardship

Low wage jobs do not allow families to save for emergencies, save for the future, or build financial stability. The cost of living has increased and wages haven’t kept pace. The hardworking person you may know on the edge of survival could be working as a childcare worker, a retail salesperson, a housekeeping staff person, a cashier, a fast food worker, a stock clerk—or one of many other positions.

What does it take for a family in Lake County to survive?

In Lake County, affording the basic necessities—housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, other necessities, and taxes cost a family of four $51,156 per year—or $17,184 per year for a single adult.

Community Outreach

United Way is in the development stage of an innovative technology tool specifically targeting ALICE households – “Resource Round Up.” The Resource Round Up app will allow ALICE families to quickly locate community programs/services that they qualify for, find a quality child care provider and connect to critical early learning supports if they have children under the age of 5. Additionally, the app will provide an immediate notification system through SMS text messaging that can be utilized to inform ALICE households of new resources, community programs and/or events.

Laying the Foundation: United for Families Network

Lake Area United Way is a collaborator, a convener and a catalyst for community change. As a backbone organization, Lake Area United Way will guide the collective group in developing vision and strategy, support aligned activities, establish shared measurement practices, build public will, advance policy, and mobilize funding. We will fuel solutions that drive measurable, lasting change that benefits the entire community.