ALICE $ense Launched

Do you remember when people talked about the “American Dream”? Being able to send your child to college, owning your own home and a car, having health insurance, and being sustainable and living that American Dream.

For an increasing number of our neighbors and coworkers, it simply is not possible regardless of how hard they work and how many jobs they hold down. They live paycheck to paycheck, stretching their limited dollars on a daily basis. They are ALICE— Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. United Way’s launch of ALICE $ense — our enhanced, financial empowerment program — will help struggling residents achieve more stable financial ground for themselves and their families.

Through United Way, the ALICE $ense program will make the Best Money Moves dashboard and other resources available free of charge to those who are eligible. The online dashboard will allow users to rate their financial stress in over 15 categories while also providing coaching as well as articles and tips to help tackle these financial stressors. The dashboard includes its own point system where users can earn points by interacting with the online system and then qualify for rewards. United Way has also customized this dashboard to include access to our other resources such as the FamilyWize prescription savings card and the 2-1-1 helpline.

A highlight of the ALICE $ense program and the dashboard is the introduction of the online savings program known as SaverLife. SaverLife provides users with incentives to encourage saving. For example, SaverLife will match $10 for every month the user saves at least $20 for up to 6 months.

The American Dream does not have to seem so out of reach. By incentivizing the act of saving, and making financial resources easily accessible, ALICE $ense works to help struggling families improve their financial habits and begin to achieve that dream.