Library hosts ALICE community conversation
Organizations, residents discuss ways to help those who are impoverished
On March 29, the Charles County Public Library in collaboration with the United Way of Charles County hosted the first community conversation at the Waldorf West Branch Library titled, “Come Meet ALICE” in order to discuss the 25 percent of Charles County residents who are living at or below a basic needs budget.
The open forum brought together a diverse panel of leaders who evaluated solutions and created innovative approaches to give ALICE a voice, and create changes that improve life in
Charles County.
“As the United Way’s recent ALICE report highlighted, 25 percent of Charles County households are struggling to make ends meet,” said Janet Salazar of Charles County Public Library. “We believe there is work ahead to make Charles County a better place to live and work. Opening up the dialogue at our Community Conversations: Come Meet ALICE event is a step to a stronger community.”
The United Way recently used a series of standardized measurements called the ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) report to provide an in-depth look at countywide poverty and presented its data during a webinar on Jan. 9. According to the report’s Economic Viability Dashboard, which evaluates community conditions for ALICE in three core areas on a scale of 1 (worse) to 100 (better), Charles County received a 31 (poor) in housing affordability, 56 (good) in job opportunities, and 61 (good) in community resources.
“ALICE individuals often need help to navigate financial struggles such as rent, health care, utility assistance and food,” said Mike Bellis, director of the United Way of Charles County. “Every one of us was ALICE, is ALICE or knows ALICE. This conversation is the start of a call to action for all of us because ALICE is one car repair or dental emergency away from homelessness.”
Sheriff Troy Berry (D) with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office said the ALICE study helps shed light on segments of the population that have been suffering in silence.
“I really believe that we have to find a way to have a safety net in place for ALICE individuals so we can give those individuals a hand up because they are not looking for a handout. If there are resources that will help us mitigate those particular financial issues for those individuals then we must do our due diligence as leaders to bring those resources in and help them. We have to break the cycle of poverty. I believe when people are empowered with information, and when they know better, they will do better,” Berry said.
Sandy Washington, president of LifeStyles Inc., an organization dedicated to helping those in need, said, “We create a system where people are about to fall and are reaching out for help but none of our programs will help because they have to have fallen in order for us to help them and that is wrong. ALICE is the validation about why we are dealing with these issues in the community.”
Bill Buffington, from the College of Southern Maryland Veteran Resource Center and Lounge on the La Plata Campus, said the veterans are living much worse than the numbers portrayed in the ALICE report, but in looking toward the future, partnerships are the key to overcome ALICE. He said he was
surprised that Nanjemoy and Pomonkey are not included in the report (Bellis noted both areas are not a part of the Census count) because the poverty level in those areas of the county are really bad.
Mary Hannah, a native to Nanjemoy, said she lived as ALICE and grew up as ALICE on the western side of Charles County.
“I now work in the healthcare field and I see ALICE everyday and how they can’t focus on their health. It’s not about their medication or learning about their health condition, it’s about what are they going to do for their next meal and where they are going to live. If that is your focus then you can’t focus on prevention or what they can do to live a long healthy life,” Hannah said.
Bonnie Morris, chairwoman of the Charles County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, said the income levels need to be changed in order to better help ALICE workers within the county.
Dr. Dianne Abney, with the Charles County Department of Health, said her initial reaction to the $74,688 household survival budget, an annual total for a family of four with one infant and one preschooler, was one of shock.
“I was totally astounded that you have to make close to $75,000 to not essentially be in poverty in our community,” Abney said. “Everyone doesn’t go to college but there are other jobs that can get you above ALICE — master plumber, electrician and mason … we need to let people know that it’s OK to take a different path.”
Waldorf resident Sargent agreed.
“My two grandsons went to North Point High School and they both work as electricians now,” Sargent said. “They started out way above minimum wage and they will probably go to college at some point but they are receiving training to become certified electricians. They don’t want to sit behind desks so I think we do put too much emphasis on going to college and it’s not necessary.”
Bellis said that for permanent, longterm community change the county needs substantial changes in legislation on a county, state and federal level.
“In regards to housing affordability, I was shocked by that 31 percent being the lowest in the state,” said David Jenkins with the Southern Maryland Association of Realtors. “In terms of legislation and policies, we need to look at how we can create forms of housing that are affordable for residents. There are more and more folks living together in neighborhoods that cross generations. We need to look at zoning laws and policy that would encourage that and not be so restrictive about certain housing in neighborhoods.”
Sandy McGraw, a Waldorf resident, said inclusionary zoning is the key to having affordable housing within the county.
“We need affordable rentals, not all of this affordable housing that people own, but we have an entire strata of the population that needs to have a rental property to take advantage of. They don’t have the income and the inclination to own a property. We’re building lots of swanky new apartments but they are not affordable so we need to educate the citizenry and give the elected officials political cover. Until we make our citizens aware of what the future holds for our county then we are not going to have much success,” McGraw said.
Regina Larrabee, a Welcome resident, said the one thing that affects ALICE is transportation in the county.
“It’s great that there is an educational center out in Hughesville, but if you don’t have a car then you can’t go there to get an education. Not having a car to get to a job means you can’t get the better job. You need the transportation in order to do better,” Larrabee said.
The CCPL has not yet announced when the next community conversation will take place. Bellis said as these conversations continue he hopes the ALICE report is a tidal wave of change that hits members of the community, for the better.