United Way Awards Grants To Summer Camps For Tuition Assistance

Five Nonprofits Awarded Grants to Assist ALICE Families with Tuition

United Way of Southwest Louisiana’s Summer Impact Grant Program has awarded five youth camps the assistance needed to help ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families with tuition help.

McNeese State University Burton College of Education INVEST Summer Camp
The Governor’s Program for Gifted Children – McNeese State University
Branch Out summer art camp at The Imperial Calcasieu Museum
CPSB Summer STEMpede – VEX robotics camp, NASA Astro Camp, Seaperch Underwater Camp
Felice Kicking Camps

“Our newest grant program is for summer camp providers with parents in what has typically been called by media ‘working poor,’ but United Way research has renamed ALICE,” explained Denise Durel, President and CEO for United Way of Southwest Louisiana. “ALICE families do not enjoy a summer filled with vacations and rest. They worry about paying their usual bills, higher energy bills if children are at home or the cost of summer camps. The added burden of picking up and dropping off children at varying times during the day also means missed hours and shorter paychecks. We are actively working on ways to address and help these families that get left behind.”

ALICE families cannot get help through traditional government support or traditional nonprofits due to their income from employment. Their employment, however, is a problem in that more is needed to pay the fees required to keep school-aged children occupied all summer while parents work for long hours. ALICE families typically earn below a threshold that helps them easily pay bills and meet monthly savings. Learn more online at unitedwayswla.org/alice.

A new ALICE report with data and presentations will be released this week. If your organization or business is interested in having a United Way of Southwest Louisiana representative speak, bring materials, or email updated data, please email us here. A tailored presentation or materials can be designed for your market in Southwest Louisiana.

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About United Way of Southwest Louisiana

Working with the community and many partners for 83 years, United Way of Southwest Louisiana tackles the critical human services issues facing our five-parish footprint of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jeff Davis. Our United approach is changing the odds for all children, families and individuals in the community, so we all have the opportunity to succeed. Learn more about our life-changing work at Unitedwayswla.org and follow us on social media @UnitedWayofSWLA

- Operating in the TOP 9% of all U.S. United Ways. –TOP 125 out of 1185 United Ways!
- Maintains a 4-STAR charity rating with Charity Navigator and a PLATINUM SEAL OF TRANSPARENCY with Candid (formerly GuideStar)
- Mackenzie Scott Recipient (1^st year, member of the original #UNITEDWAY46)
- LEPA Award Winner 2022 from Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for Outstanding Service
- Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration