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42 IDAHO FALLS MAGAZINE JULY 2023 United Way of Idaho Falls and Bonneville County (UWIFBC) has been investing in Eastern Idaho for over 80 years. UWIF- BC supports a network of non- profit partners working together to ensure community members struggling to meet their basic needs have resources and assis- tance. Our "small but mighty" United Way mission is to im- prove people's lives by mobilizing the caring power of our commu- nity. HOW WE MAKE THAT HAP- PEN United Way builds powerful partnerships that improve the lives of children, families and in- dividuals experiencing challeng- es. We leverage our large net- work of partners in nonprofits, education, businesses, city and state government and volunteers to create long term solutions to meet ever changing regional challenges. WHAT WE DO Our priority funding areas include early education, access to mental health and healthcare, housing stability with a living wage, and food insecurity for children and seniors. United Way fundraises year-round to support our partners. Come out and join us at the 9th annual live United Summer Concert Series kicking off on urs., July 13 at e Waterfront in Snake River Landing. WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Con- strained, Employed)--also known as Idaho's Working Poor– is at the center of our efforts. We all know ALICE. ALICE takes care of our children and seniors, bags our groceries, takes care of us in the hospital and serves our meals. ALICE represents women, men and seniors in our region who are one emergency away from a financial crisis. Our boots-on-the-ground work ethic is directed toward supporting ALICE community members build a path toward financial stability and security. Based on the 2023 United for ALICE report released in April, 43% of our seven-county service area are struggling to afford ba- sic needs. is equates to 32,284 households. e newest report "ALICE in the Crosscurrents: COVID and Financial Hard- ships" in Idaho shows that a total number of households (which in- cludes families, individuals and seniors) that the total number of financially insecure households rose by 17% between 2019- 2021 – more that tripling the 5% increase in the state's overall population. Idaho Ranked 34th in financial hardship among all 50 states, with one of the nation's highest percentages of house- holds struggling to make ends meet in 2021. "It could have been much worse for these families, whose strug- gles to feed their families, afford health care and access to quality childcare and education was of- ten hiding in plain sight until the pandemic, said UWIFBC's CEO, Chris Wiersema. "Equipped with the ALICE Report and data, we can do even better to develop effective policies and track our progress toward reducing finan- cial hardship in eastern Idaho. We are grateful to our commu- nity volunteers, corporate part- ners and donors that help make our work possible for ALICE and eastern Idaho. We have the opportunity to build on what we learned over the last few years to lessen economic uncertainty for our community." A few key ALICE Report find- ings include: •Single female-headed house- holds had among the highest rates of hardship. Over three quarters - 88% - of Eastern Ida- ho's single female-head of house- holds could not afford the basics. •Due to the lack of mental health services available to ALICE, 18% of ALICE households are feeling United Way's Community Connections By Alyssa Sherwood