A BOLD Goal for the Future of Reno County
What does it really take for a family to make ends meet in Reno County?
For many of our neighbors, the answer is more than a paycheck.
Updated ALICE data gives us a clearer picture of the financial challenges facing local families. The numbers are eye-opening, but more importantly, they remind us why our work matters.
Today, 41% of Reno County households are living below the level considered financially stable.
That includes 28% of households who are ALICE — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — and another 13% living in poverty.
In other words, about four out of every 10 households in our community are struggling to make ends meet.
These aren't statistics about someone else's community. They're about our neighbors, our friends, our families and the people we see every day.
What does ALICE really mean?
ALICE households are working households that earn too much to qualify for assistance programs that support those who are living in poverty, but still don’t earn enough to afford the basic needs of their households like food, transportation, health care, child care, technology and taxes.
They are people who work hard to support their families— yet still face impossible questions like: Can I afford child care this month? Can I fix the car? Am I able to fill my child’s prescription? Or how will I pay the electric bill?
These are people who are working, sometimes more than one job. But they still have struggles month after month.
That's why the ALICE data is so important. It looks beyond the federal poverty line and asks a more practical question: Can a family actually afford to live here?
Updated ALICE data shows that a single adult in Reno County needs to earn about $13.63 an hour just to cover basic expenses. To reach financial stability, that number rises to $24.47 an hour.
For a family with two adults and two young children in childcare, it takes about $71,000 a year just to get by and nearly $115,000 to reach financial stability.
These numbers can feel overwhelming, but are the reason UWRC is making a BOLD goal for the future of our community.
A five-year goal for Reno County
United Way of Reno County is setting a five-year Bold Goal: reduce the percentage of households below the ALICE threshold from 41% to 36%.
Five percentage points represents more than 1,200 Reno County households moving toward greater financial stability.
That's more families with breathing room. More children growing up with less financial stress. More people able to plan for the future instead of simply getting through the month.
And we hope it’s a goal you’ll share with us! Because we can’t accomplish this goal on our own.
Higher wages matter, but wages aren't the whole answer. Families also need access to affordable child care, reliable transportation, health care, mental health services, housing and opportunities to build financial stability.
Businesses have a role. Nonprofits have a role. Schools, health care providers, government and community members all have a role.
And United Way has a role, too. Because for 90 years, we've brought people together to tackle challenges that are too big for any one organization to solve. We'll continue to bring people to the table, measure our progress and keep our community focused on the goal.
Your campaign support NOW helps move the needle for the FUTURE
As we launch this year's United Way of Reno County campaign, we're asking you to join us in this work.
Your campaign gift helps us respond to needs that exist today while investing in solutions that help individuals and families build long-term stability.
Sometimes that means helping a family through a difficult season or connecting someone with the resources they need right now.
It also means supporting programs and partnerships that address the barriers that keep families from moving forward — including child care, transportation, health care, financial stability and opportunities for children to succeed.
We need to help people today while working to create a community where fewer people need that help tomorrow.
That's how we move the needle — and how we move toward our goal of reducing the number of Reno County households below the ALICE threshold from 41% to 36%.
This is about all of us
We don't see ALICE as simply a social service issue.
It's an economic issue. A workforce issue. A childcare issue. A health care issue. A housing issue. An education issue. Most of all, it's a community issue.
We believe Reno County can make meaningful progress over the next five years. We believe more families can move from simply surviving to having the opportunity to thrive.
This isn't just United Way's goal. It's Reno County's goal. And we're grateful to have you with us.