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Households identified as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) earn more than the federal poverty level but not enough to afford basic necessities.
At a local level, Batavia United Way is focused on helping this group.
In fact, according to the nonprofit’s new 5-Year Impact Report, about a third of Batavia households fall into this category.
An example from the report shows that a bank teller and a cook working full time earn about $68,000 a year combined. That’s roughly $12,500 short of what it costs a household here to cover basics like housing, childcare, food, and transportation.
Batavia United Way supports struggling residents by issuing grants to other local nonprofits and organizing its own community programs. The new report offers an inside look at that work.
Here’s what to know:
Resources for the community: Since Oct. 1, 2021, Batavia United Way says it has invested more than $750,000 in Batavia. Nearly half (46%) went to health needs like medical and dental care, food access, and mental health support. Another 27% went to financial stability, including rent and utility help for 161 households. Grant recipients include Lazarus House, Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry, Tri City Health Partnership, Literacy Volunteers of Fox Valley, Prairie State Legal Services, and Mutual Ground.
Free books from Dolly: Through a partnership with the Dollywood Foundation, the organization launched Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Batavia. The program mails a free book in English or Spanish every month to local kids from birth to age 5. More than 22,000 books have been sent to 1,137 children so far.
Growing holiday need: The report says about 20% of Batavia Public Schools students live at or below the poverty level, and the district included more than 115 unhoused children in fall 2025. The annual Adopt-a-Family program provides gifts, coats, and household essentials to students identified by the schools. It served 392 students in 2025, up 25% from 314 in 2021.
Help for seniors: Seniors are the fastest-growing ALICE group in Batavia, according to the report. Volunteer programs like Snow Angels and fall leaf raking pair residents with older neighbors who need help keeping up their homes.
Over the past five years, volunteers logged more than 5,000 hours, and the 211 resource hotline connected more than 1,400 Batavia residents with help for food, housing, utilities, and more.
For ALICE households, that kind of help can make a huge difference.
Read the full 5-Year Impact Report.
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