Every day, 40% of households in Maine make tough choices such as deciding between quality child care and paying the rent. This includes the 11% of households living below the federal poverty level and another 29% known as ALICE – Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.

We all know someone who is ALICE.  They are our children’s teachers, our grandparents’ care workers, and the service industry workers. They often live paycheck to paycheck and have little to no opportunity to save for emergencies or for future investments like education, home ownership, or retirement.  Sometimes it means making difficult choices like whether to pay the rent or pick up that prescription, buy car insurance or keep the lights on, fill the fridge or the gas tank.