Jennifer Yochem of the Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb (HACD) highlights one of the biggest struggles of ALICE families, which is also one of our most basic human needs . . . shelter. ALICE families are struggling with rising housing costs and mountains of paperwork. Doesn't everyone deserve a roof over their head?

We sit down with Alexandra Sossa, Executive Director of Farmworkers and Landscapers Advocacy Project (FLAP) to talk about an often unseen portion of the ALICE population: immigrant workers. We talk about the services FLAP provides and the barriers to existing services for these families that is compounded by their immigration status.

We talk about some myths about undocumented immigrants in the podcast. Here's an article (that lists its "meatier" source at the bottom) that talks about some of those myths and misconceptions: https://www.carnegie.org/our-work/article/15-myths-about-immigration-debunked/ 

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/09/undocumented-immigrants-and-taxes/499604/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/08/12/americas-immigration-system-broken-heres-how-we-can-fix-column/3317521001/ 

We are chatting with Christine who runs a local food pantry and is serving more and more ALICE families each week. But Christine is also ALICE herself. She shares her lived experiences and the struggles she and her family are always fighting against to improve their position. 

Deanna Cada, Executive Director of the DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board, talks with Gretchen about mental healthcare in DeKalb County, how the Mental Health Board is trying to support access and solutions for residents, and how mental healthcare needs impact ALICE households in particular. 

Resources mentioned in today's episode:
https://kishwaukeeunitedway.com/advocate/

https://www.lwv.org/local-leagues/lwv-dekalb-county

https://dekalbcounty.org/departments/mental-health-board/

Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CEBiB2022 

We sit down with Annie, a local Emergency Medical Technician who works in a community emergency department. Annie shares about her career and how she and many of her coworkers fall into the category of "ALICE." Listen to Annie explain the vital services she helps provide and the struggle to make ends meet. 

Child care is one of the biggest costs for ALICE Households with children, particularly children too young for our public school system. Gretchen sits down with Kristin Schulz and Amy Lofthouse from Northern Illinois University's Child Development and Family Center (CDFC) to talk about the child care crisis facing families AND the underpaid staff that provide the care. Take a listen to learn more and ways you can advocate for a more sustainable system.

*Articles about $25/hr minimum wage mentioned in the episode: https://www.barrons.com/articles/why-u-s-workers-need-a-25-per-hour-minimum-wage-51611858500 
https://cepr.net/this-is-what-minimum-wage-would-be-if-it-kept-pace-with-productivity/ 

**Acronyms in today's episode: NIU (Northern Illinois University), CDFC (Child Development and Family Center), ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education) and INCCRRA (Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies).

*** Articles about the importance of early childhood development: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/early-learning/conditioninfo/matter#:~:text=Early%20learning%20paves%20the%20way,children%2C%20teens%2C%20and%20adults.

https://buffettinstitute.nebraska.edu/news-and-events/early-years-matter/early-childhood-education-matters-the-science-says-it-does

I sit down with community leader, Joey Moore of Barb Food Mart to talk about what ALICE households look like through her view as the director of one of the most progressive and versatile food pantry's in our area.

Who is ALICE? What makes a household "Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed?" How common is it for people to fall into this category? Check out our test episode to discover ALICE.  Stay tuned for upcoming episodes to hear from people whose lives are currently or formerly touched by ALICE. 

Learn more at unitedforalice.org