United Way NSV to Hold ALICE Awareness Week

United Way NSV to Hold ALICE Awareness Week with Goal of Helping 20 Local Struggling Families

Winchester, VA. October 12, 2020 -While every person has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in some way, those that have been the hardest hit are the families who were already struggling to get by. United Way NSV has been focused on helping these ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families for the past few years, and has seen a record increase in requests for assistance through Valley Assistance Network (VAN) since the pandemic began. When funds run short, these already cash-strapped households are forced to make impossible choices, such as deciding between quality childcare or paying the rent, filling a prescription or fixing the car. These short-term decisions have long-term consequences not only for ALICE families, but for all of us.

On October 19th – 30th United Way NSV will host ALICE Awareness Week with a goal of raising $10,000 to help 20 families with life changing ALICE Emergency Funds. To raise the $10,000, United Way NSV urges the community to make donations outright, or to sign up to be an ALICE Ambassador and raise money through crowdfunding and traditional fundraising. Gifts to this effort can be made now through October 30th at www.UnitedWaynsv.org/aliceawareness.

All of the money raised during ALICE week helps United Way to reach campaign goal, but also goes to support emergency ALICE programs through Valley Assistance Network - things like getting families out of their cars during the coldest months of the year, helping workers get to work with gas cards, or getting a family into a home or apartment.

In addition to the ALICE Awareness Week fundraising goal of $10,000, United Way is also holding an “Alice e-Challenge,” an immersive email seminar over the course of two weeks where participants opt in to receive daily emails exploring what ALICE looks like in the Northern Shenandoah Valley. Topics covered will include the impacts of housing, childcare, access to food, healthcare, transportation, technology and the effects of covid-19 on ALICE. For more information and to opt-in to the e-Challenge, visit www.unitedwaynsv.org/aliceawareness.