When Pueblo's Heart Beats, Every Household Matters
At United Way Pueblo County, we hold a steadfast belief: families achieving financial stability are the cornerstone of a thriving Pueblo. When families rise, our community flourishes.
But for too many Pueblo households, stability remains just out of reach. Across our city and county, individuals are working tirelessly, yet the cost of living still pushes them to the brink.
Meet ALICE:
ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.
ALICE households are made up of people we all know: childcare workers, grocery associates, home healthcare workers, teachers, mechanics, and so many others. They are hardworking and often work more than one job, but still can't afford the basics, such as housing, food, childcare, transportation, and health care.
They earn too much to qualify for most public assistance, but not enough to make ends meet. These families live paycheck to paycheck, constantly forced to make tough choices like whether to pay the electric bill or buy groceries.
ALICE is essential to our community’s success, yet is often overlooked in traditional poverty statistics. By understanding ALICE, we can better support the real people behind the numbers and build a stronger, more resilient community for everyone.
Pueblo’s Hidden Struggle: A Story Told in the Numbers
Imagine nearly half of Pueblo County households, each working hard, each striving, each vulnerable. That’s the story ALICE data tells:
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A staggering 42% of households in Pueblo County are income-constrained, above the federal poverty line, yet unable to meet the basics like housing, food, healthcare, and transportation.
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Among these, 31% are ALICE households, earning more than poverty-level wages but still unable to make ends meet.
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16% live at or below the poverty threshold.
These statistics reflect the real people behind them, nurses, teachers, small business employees, single parents, and neighbors who carry both the pride and the challenges of our community. Their daily contributions resonate across classrooms, clinics, and local storefronts alike.
Turning Data Into Action: How We Show Up for Pueblo
At United Way Pueblo County, ALICE data isn’t just information, it’s a call to action:
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Program Design with Compassion
We design programs with ALICE in mind, ensuring that eligibility aligns with the true cost of living, so we meet families where they actually are, not where they're implied to be. -
Targeted Investments
When we see that nearly half of households are income-constrained, we focus our collaboration and support on middle school mentoring, community collaboration initiatives, and financial coaching, tailoring aid to the everyday pressures families face. -
Elevating Voices, Building Solutions
ALICE data helps us foster partnerships with local leaders, service providers, and residents. Together, we move from highlighting hardship to creating real pathways to stability.
Join Us in Empowering Every Puebloan
Together, let’s create a Pueblo where every family isn’t just surviving, but thriving. Where gratitude meets action. Where resilience is met with real opportunity