Helping Working Families Go from Paychecks to Pathways

Decoda was working part-time as an installation technician, putting in the hours when he could get them. The problem was he took home about $500 every two weeks, and every month it was the same calculation: rent, utilities, groceries, gas to get to work. 

Something always had to wait. He knew a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) could open the door to steadier work and better pay, but the training cost more than he had in his account. So, he kept working the hours he could get, knowing he was stuck unless something changed.

That is the problem United Way of Beaver County is trying to solve: supporting families who are working but still struggling.

Building a financial cushion

Two years ago, United Way of Beaver County created the ALICE Fund. CEO Mary Lou Harju had spent years working with nonprofits in the county and kept running into the same problem—families who were employed, showing up to work every day, and still couldn’t make it all add up. They were a flat tire or an emergency room visit away from falling behind on rent.

ALICE® stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. It describes nearly 29% of households across the country: individuals and families with income above the poverty line who still have to choose between groceries, medicine, or safe childcare. 

These families power the economy, but they don’t have any financial cushion. Most support programs weren't designed with them in mind, focusing instead on those below the poverty threshold.

Mary Lou’s ALICE Fund gave United Way a mechanism to reach those families. Over the past two years, the fund has raised over $500,000 from the community. 

In March 2024, $70,000 in mini-grants was distributed to local agencies. Later that year, $50,000 in utility assistance grants went to four agencies serving ALICE households. 

“No one was helping ALICE, and the 211 calls were just skyrocketing for utility assistance," Mary Lou said. “That money was gone within a month."

Training that opens doors

Mary Lou didn't want to just help families stay afloat. She wanted to help them move forward. That thinking led to United Works, a job training program designed specifically for people like Decoda.

The idea came from a conversation with a local workforce partner. Existing programs could cover up to $8,000 in training costs, but only if your income was below $15,000 a year. In Beaver County, someone in the ALICE category might be making $32,000. They were working, sometimes multiple jobs, but they still couldn't afford the upfront cost of training that could lead to better work. United Works was built to cover that gap.

For Decoda, it meant he could finally enroll in CDL training at 160 Driving Academy. He completed the program, earned his CDL-A license, and landed a full-time job with a trucking company at $26 an hour with benefits. 

The job gave him what he’d been trying to piece together on his own: predictable income, health coverage, and a foundation he could actually build on. 

When he finished the program, he told his caseworker he was grateful for the opportunity. Not just because of the paycheck, but because it positioned him to give his family a better quality of life and build something that would last.

He's one of seven people enrolled in United Works so far, and his story reflects what the program was designed to do: help people who are already working hard to make the leap to financial security and a thriving future.