At United Way of Alamance County, we do not guess where help is needed most we look at the data and listen to our neighbors. By analyzing trends from multiple data sources and listening directly to feedback from concerned community members, we identify our local strengths, uncover critical needs, and bridge the gaps.
To create a more resilient community where everyone can thrive, we align our targeted initiatives with our Four Core Pillars:
- Youth Opportunity
- Healthy Community
- Financial Security
- Community Resiliency
Here is how we are putting these pillars into action across Alamance County:
Feeding Alamance
Pillars: Community Resiliency, Healthy Community
Food insecurity impacts health, education, and peace of mind. We address hunger from the classroom to local neighborhoods through sustainable partnerships and direct relief.
- Educate Alamance-Burlington School System [ABSS] families about applying for free and reduced-cost breakfast and lunch programs. We also helped raise critical funds to eliminate ABSS school lunch debt, ensuring that no child experiences hunger or stigma at school.
- Provide financial support to local food-focused nonprofits and initiatives, including Alamance CAN!.
- Organize community food drives, assist with the annual Stamp Out Hunger postal drive, and convene the Food Providers Network to improve food distribution and increase program accessibility.
Housing Alamance
Pillars: Community Resiliency, Healthy Community
Stable housing is the foundation of a stable life. Our Housing Alamance initiative works to prevent homelessness and strengthen relationships between residents and housing providers.
- Conduct eviction-focused research and collect local data to better understand the causes of housing instability.
- Host educational programs for community members, tenants, partner agencies, landlords, and property managers to promote communication and tenant awareness.
- Collaborate with community partners to address eviction-related challenges and respond to emerging housing trends.
Supporting Alamance
Pillars: Financial Security, Youth Opportunity, Healthy Community, Community Resiliency
A thriving community depends on both financially stable families and strong nonprofit organizations. Through these initiatives, we strengthen local capacity and support residents.
- Host the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Tax Time Program, providing free tax preparation services to help families maximize their refunds. We also organize our annual Community Shred Event to help protect personal information.
- Facilitate the Community Council by coordinating meetings, sharing community announcements, and maintaining a comprehensive local resource guide.
- Organize Quarterly Service Projects and host the Governor's Volunteer Awards to recognize outstanding community volunteers.
- Manage and distribute Emergency Food and Shelter Program [EFSP] funding to provide critical emergency assistance.
- Invest strategically in local nonprofits through Community Investment Grants, advancing Youth Opportunity and Financial Security throughout Alamance County.
Understanding Financial Hardship: ALICE and NC-211 Data
To better understand the needs of our community, we rely heavily on the ALICE Report.
ALICE stands for:
Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed
ALICE represents hardworking households that earn more than the Federal Poverty Level but less than the actual cost of essential needs such as housing, childcare, food, transportation, and healthcare. These families fill many of the essential jobs that keep Alamance County running, yet they often live one unexpected expense away from financial hardship.
Traditional poverty measures do not capture the realities faced by ALICE households. By using ALICE data, United Way of Alamance County can direct resources to the areas experiencing the greatest financial pressure.
In addition to ALICE data, we rely on monthly and annual reports from NC-211, North Carolina's free, confidential information and referral service. By analyzing real-time call and text data from residents seeking assistance, we identify our community's greatest needs, recognize service gaps, and respond to emerging challenges with greater accuracy and speed.
We invite you to explore the data and gain a deeper understanding of how financial hardship affects our community. Through the North Carolina United for ALICE Portal, you can access:
- County-by-county data
- Wage comparison tools
- Household survival budgets
- Additional community insights
You can also learn more about NC-211 data for both our local area and the state of North Carolina here.