All day on Feb. 13th, first newscast to the last, NBC 10 & FOX 14 are deep-diving into one topic: One Paycheck Away: The new face of financial need.

Starting at 5 a.m. each newscast will highlight those in financial strife in the Arklamiss. This is based off The United Way’s ALICE report.

ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. According to The United Way, ALICE includes “hardworking residents who work at low-paying jobs, have little or no savings, and are one emergency from falling into poverty.”

In the 12 parishes in The United Way’s report, 57% of the people living here are below the ALICE threshold. This includes the 27% of people in the region living at or below the federal poverty guidelines. Looking deeper at those numbers, that 57% comes out to over 72,000 households who are living one paycheck away from serious financial hardship.

At 6:30 p.m. on NBC 10, we’ll have a special town hall on 2/13 at 6:30p highlight resources available to those who need help. POST YOUR QUESTIONS on our Facebook page for our town hall panel of Janet Durden of United Way of NELA, Rep. Katrina Jackson, and Sue Nicholson with the Monroe Chamber of Commerce. We will also stream the town hall here on myarklamiss.com

TOWN HALL STREAMING:

Below are several reports from NBC 10/FOX 14 Anchors and Reporters on ALICE, programs in the Arklamiss designed to help those going from paycheck-to-paycheck, and places you can help make a difference.

NBC 10/FOX 14 Morning Anchor Connor Ingalls speaks with Dr. Lynn Clark from the Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana about their childcare programs.

NBC 10/FOX 14 Morning Anchor Connor Ingalls speaks with the LDCC about the programs available to kickstart your career and get you back up on your feet.

NBC 10/FOX 14 Reporter Chelsea Jones illustrates and defines ALICE. She walks you through one woman’s journey as she struggles to make ends meet, all while having a job. 

NBC 10/FOX 14 Morning Anchor Rae’ven Jackson looks at workforce initiatives and housing options in the Arklamiss for people who are in a financial tight spot and want to be able to work out of it.

NBC 10/FOX 14 Morning Anchor Connor Ingalls looks at the Salvation Army’s newest program: a dorm for those who find themselves homeless after a finanical hardship.

NBC 10/FOX 14 reporter Randi Ayala uncovers the truth behind the working poor, and why it is so hard to make ends meet, even with a full-time job. 

NBC 10/ FOX14 reporter Bria Jones shares how one Monroe woman is taking the free skills she learned at the Opportunities Industrialization Center of Ouachita to finally move out of public housing. 

NBC 10/FOX 14 Morning Anchor Connor Ingalls explores how those in tighter financial straits can become victims of domestic violence, and how organizations like The Wellspring help victims get into better situations.