Meet ALICE
What does the “E” in ALICE stand for?
Employed
Approximately what percentage of Tri-County households could not afford basic necessities: 17%, 37% or 57%?
37%
True or false: Serving in the military guarantees financial stability after service.
A dependable employee suddenly starts missing shifts. Before assuming they lack commitment, name two barriers outside the workplace that could explain it.
Transportation breakdowns, unavailable childcare, housing instability or health needs. Attendance can reveal a household crisis—not a lack of work ethic.
Trident United Way serves Berkeley, Charleston and which third county?
Dorchester
True or false: A household can earn above the poverty level and still struggle to afford basic necessities.
True
True or false: The Household Survival Budget includes money for emergency savings.
False—it is a basic survival budget.
A veteran works full time and earns above the poverty level but cannot afford housing, groceries and transportation. Would poverty statistics alone capture their financial hardship—and what term describes their household?
No. Their household is ALICE: earning above poverty but below the cost of basic necessities.
A qualified applicant cannot afford the transportation or childcare needed between their start date and first paycheck. What surprising barrier are they facing?
The upfront cost of starting work. Someone can secure a job and still lack the money needed to begin earning.
What three-digit helpline provides free, confidential connections to community resources?
211
Name three essential expenses included in the ALICE Household Survival Budget.
Any three: housing, childcare, food, transportation, healthcare, technology and taxes
Nearly 94,000 Tri-County households earned above the poverty level but below the cost of basics. What are these households called?
ALICE households.
What TUW program connects veterans, service members and military families to support?
Mission United
In South Carolina, what percentage of full-time manufacturing workers lived in households unable to afford the basics in 2024: 5%, 18% or 35%?
18%—nearly one in five. A full-time manufacturing job does not automatically mean household financial stability. This is statewide industry data, not Nucor employee data.
TUW’s goal is to uplift how many families out of poverty by 2035?
15,000
What does the full acronym ALICE stand for?
Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed
Approximately how many Tri-County households struggled to afford the basics: 30,000, 80,000 or 130,000?
130,000 households—specifically, 129,589.
Nationally, approximately what percentage of veterans lived in households unable to afford the basics in 2019: 7%, 17% or 27%?
27%—more than one in four.
Nationally in 2024, approximately how many parents were not working because of childcare issues: 56,000, 260,000 or 560,000?
560,000 parents. Childcare is workforce infrastructure: without it, people can be prevented from working.
Name two ways teammates can support TUW’s work.
Any two: give, volunteer or help connect people to resources.
What makes the ALICE Threshold more useful than a single nationwide income cutoff for understanding financial hardship?
It considers local living costs and household size/composition. (any answer along those lines)
In Berkeley County, ALICE households increased from approximately 16,000 in 2010 to 30,000 in 2024. Did that number decrease, stay about the same or nearly double?
Nearly double.
A veteran works full time and earns above the poverty level but cannot afford housing, groceries and transportation. Would poverty statistics alone capture their financial hardship—and what term describes their household?
No. Their household is ALICE: earning above poverty but below the cost of basic necessities.
Among U.S. families paying for at least 20 hours of childcare weekly in 2025, the median monthly childcare payment was approximately $500, $1,000 or $1,500?
$1,500—specifically, $1,517. For families paying both expenses, median childcare costs were more than three-quarters of median housing costs.
Which company is recognized as a powering partner on TUW’s Mission United webpage?
Nucor Steel Berkeley