Our most recent data shows 19% of Louisiana’s population is living in poverty. The federal poverty line varies between individuals [$11,490] and families [$23,550 for a family of four], leaving these households with limited resources. While this figure is daunting, it fails to capture many individuals and families who struggle to afford basic needs including housing, child care, health care, food, and transportation.
ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) identifies the struggle of an additional 24% of Southeast Louisiana households, comprised of hard-working tax payers who don’t fit the traditional idea of poverty given their employment status. ALICE households are living paycheck to paycheck – unable to save and often one health emergency, one car repair or one harsh storm away from poverty.
The Blueprint for Prosperity is our plan to move people out of poverty in our region and requires a change in the way our entire community approaches the issue creating pathways for prosperity for generations to come.
Our Blueprint is driving our investments in the community to programs and collaborations that provide long-term solutions focused on ending poverty. How? We help people get the skills they need to go to work, we help people struggling to make ends meet put a meal on the table, we help kids have a strong foundation so they are ready to learn when they enter kindergarten. The programs and collaboratives we support are part of our holistic approach to solving the under lying causes of poverty.
This work isn't possible without YOU, our donors, advocates, and volunteers who join us in the fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community we serve. When you give to United Way, your contribution helps foster both individual and collective success.
NOW is the time to make your gift for our neighbors who so desperately need our help. With just days before the end of our 2017-2018 fundraising campaign on March 31st, we ask you to invest in a safer, healthier Southeast Louisiana with more skilled workers and a better educated generation of future leaders.