Why Supporting ALICE workers is built into our DNA
By Angie Matthiessen, Chief Executive Officer
The words “There’s always gonna be another mountain, I’m always gonna wanna make it move” filled the room at the 2025 National ALICE Summit in Miami, beautifully sung by a fellow United Way employee from Broward County. In that moment, the song The Climb became more than lyrics—it became a reflection of the daily reality faced by ALICE workers across our communities. Three of us from the office had the privilege of attending the summit, and the experience was both educational and deeply moving. As the song reminded us, it’s not just about reaching the top, but about the strength, perseverance, and hope found along the way.
ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—people who show up every day powering our communities and our economy. In hospitality-driven regions like ours, ALICE workers are the backbone, serving meals, caring for children, supporting seniors, responding to emergencies, and keeping businesses running. Yet hard work does not guarantee stability. When wages fail to keep pace with rising housing, childcare, healthcare, and transportation costs, each month becomes a fragile balancing act, where a single unexpected expense—or a disaster that strikes again and again—can quickly push a family into crisis.
At the Summit, leaders spoke candidly about a new reality: disasters are no longer once-in-a-generation events. Communities must be prepared to respond year over year, often while families are still recovering from the last storm. For households already living paycheck to paycheck, a disaster is not just disruptive—it can be devastating.
This is where United Way’s DNA becomes essential. The ability to respond quickly, flexibly, and compassionately is built through trust, partnerships, and preparation long before a crisis hits. We have seen this firsthand in our own community as hurricanes have tested both our systems and our resolve. Because relationships were already in place, resources could move swiftly to where they were needed most—helping families stabilize, recover, and begin again. Disaster response is not separate from ALICE work; it is inseparable from it.
One of the most powerful moments of the Summit came from a high school junior. Jasmine Serrano, who spoke about the moment in a race when your legs burn and every instinct tells you to stop. That moment, she said, is where the decision is made—to quit or to push forward. ALICE families face that uphill stretch every day. Hard paths are not impossible, but they demand support and solidarity. Jasmine challenged us to acknowledge, uplift, and amplify youth—not to step aside, but to stand with them as they learn their way forward.
Business leaders from organizations like Walmart and Humana echoed that message, emphasizing that workforce stability is not just about wages—it is about the whole person. When nutrition is inconsistent, mental health is strained, responsibilities pile up, and financial pressure becomes constant, the effects ripple through families, workplaces and communities. This holistic understanding is why United Way focuses on ALICE as people, not just statistics.
Across Charlotte County, 30,431 households are struggling to afford basic needs, despite working in jobs we all rely on. That includes the ALICE households, with income above the poverty line, but still living paycheck to paycheck.
We invite our community to come alongside us as we tend to the needs of ALICE—by donating to support critical services, volunteering time and talent, and by taking a moment to thank someone who is working hard every day to keep our community moving forward.
For more information, please visit: unitedwayccfl.org/People
For more information about United Way Charlotte County’s mission: Mobilizing the power of our community so all can thrive, please contact Angie Matthiessen, Chief Executive Officer. She can be reached at director@unitedwayccfl.org.