A few weeks ago, the United Way of Lebanon County hosted an eye-opening event to introduce A.L.I.C.E. to the community.

This Morning Call article, “Paycheck to paycheck: New United Way study shows how many in Lehigh Valley walk a dangerous financial tightrope”, is a poignant reminder of the hard facts that many people are “one of those ‘there but for the grace of God’ narratives you hear all the time.”

One of the people might be the person at the register where you shop; or a health care worker; a neighbor; someone who attends your church or the person who just walked by you.

“The ALICE Report for Pennsylvania describes the population called ALICE, an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — families with income above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), but not high enough to afford basic household necessities or save for the future. With the cost of living higher than what most people earn, ALICE households live in every county in Pennsylvania — urban, suburban, and rural — and they include women and men, young and old, of all races and ethnicities.”

At a minimum, one in three families in Berks, Lancaster and Lebanon Counties is struggling financially according to the A.L.I.C.E. reports.