While 
United Ways have always known ALICE (an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), and have in fact been serving the ALICE population for decades, there was never a good measure to quantify just how many Pennsylvania households were struggling to make ends meet for their most basic needs. United Ways wanted to give this population a voice which is backed by data, to help us all understand the hardships ALICE is facing.
The ALICE Report for Pennsylvania describes the population called ALICE – working families with income above the Federal Poverty Level, but not high enough to afford basic household necessities. With the cost of living higher than what most people earn, ALICE households live in every county in Pennsylvania, and they include women and men, young and old, of all races and ethnicities.