The reality that Connecticut has a higher percentage of affluent individuals and families than most other states often overshadows the fact that far too many of our residents face a very different reality and struggle to make ends meet.

Next month, Connecticut's United Ways will release their statewide ALICE Report. The Report documents how many Connecticut households struggle to pay for life's basic necessities, including households who live below the Federal Poverty Level and households with income above the poverty level but below the state's basic cost-of-living threshold defined in the ALICE Report.  The second group is an often-overlooked population we call ALICE -- a United Way acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed. 

ALICE represents the men and women of all ages and races who get up each day to go to work, but who are not sure if they'll be able to put dinner on the table each night. They are our childcare workers, our mechanics, our home health aides, security workers, store clerks and office assistants - all workers we cannot live without. Despite the critical nature of their work, it is a struggle for them to support their families on what these jobs typically pay. 

The financial hardships that ALICE faces affect the overall economic and social viability of every community in the state. To learn more about ALICE in Connecticut and get the full report when it is released in November, visit http://alice.ctunitedway.org/signup.