At Trident United Way, we’ve set a bold goal: uplifting 15,000 families out of poverty by 2035.
But what does that actually look like?
In the Tri-County, nearly 2 out of 5 households fall below the ALICE® Threshold. ALICE® stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These are families who earn above the federal poverty level, but still do not earn enough to cover the rising cost of basics like housing, child care, food, transportation and health care.
We interact with ALICE® every day: child care workers, restaurant servers, receptionists, health care workers, neighbors and coworkers. They help keep our community running, and like any family, they want to provide a good life for the people they love.
As you’ll see in these stories, instability is often not about lack of effort. It comes from the pressure of rising costs, limited options and one unexpected disruption at the wrong time. A job loss, a child care gap, a utility bill or a paycheck that no longer stretches far enough can quickly change what stability looks like.
That is where Family Coaching begins.
Trident United Way Family Coaches work one-on-one with families to understand what is standing in their way, help them make a plan and connect them to the right resources. Building stability takes time. Life happens. A bill arrives. A work schedule changes. A car breaks down. But with someone walking alongside them, families can reach lasting financial stability, one step at a time.
Here are a few snapshots of what that has looked like so far this year.
When stability changes in a day
A woman came to the North Charleston Center for Strong Families after losing her job when her company unexpectedly closed. Employees were told the same day that it would be their last.
She had just been promoted and, for the first time in a while, things finally felt stable. Then everything changed. Like many working families, she was doing everything right, but one disruption changed everything.
She had savings, but it did not last long as she worked to keep up with rent and other basic needs.
With the support of a Family Coach, she applied for unemployment, enrolled in available benefits and found ways to keep her household stable. She also received assistance that helped prevent her utilities from being shut off.
Then came unexpected news. After reorganizing, the company reopened and asked her to return to work.
Today, she is back on the job. But she has not forgotten what it felt like to have someone sit with her in a moment of uncertainty, listen without judgment and help her figure out what came next.
Her Family Coach did more than hand her a referral. They sat with her, walked through her options and stayed with her as she navigated each step. That matters. Families often come to us during some of the most stressful moments of their lives. How clients are treated in those moments matters just as much as the support they receive.
Not a referral. Not a temporary fix. Support that stayed with her until the next step was clear.
When one barrier keeps work out of reach
Many parents are ready and willing to work. But sometimes, one barrier, like child care, can keep work out of reach.
A client wanted to return to work but could not afford child care. Without child care, they could not work. Without income from work, they could not afford child care.
While talking with their Family Coach, the parent realized their child was old enough to enroll in the local public school system. They had not known that option was available yet.
Their Family Coach helped the family begin the enrollment process and work with a school social worker to move it forward.
That one step changed what was possible.
Both parents could now work during the day without worrying about child care. Evenings became time for dinner and being together as a family.
This is what Family Coaching looks like: a parent able to work, a child enrolled in school and a family able to get ahead.
When steady work still does not cover the basics
Another client was working and doing everything she could to stay afloat. Still, she felt constant financial pressure as everyday costs continued to rise.
She had already made difficult decisions. She caught up on her mortgage, lowered her electric bill and avoided foreclosure. On paper, things had improved. But month to month, she was still falling short.
With the support of a Trident United Way Family Coach, she took a closer look at her income, her expenses and what it actually costs to live in the Tri-County right now.
What became clear was not a lack of effort.
It was the same gap tens of thousands of families across our region are facing: the gap between what people earn and what it costs to cover the basics. In the Tri-County, a family of four needs $89,900 a year just to cover the basics.
That is when things shifted.
They stopped trying to cut more and started looking for ways to bring more in. With the help of a Family Coach, they updated her resume, explored higher-paying jobs and talked through what steps she could take next.
“I never thought about getting a different job,” she said.
For many ALICE families, the challenge is not simply budgeting better. It is earning enough to keep up.
Sometimes, stability becomes possible when someone takes the time to sit with a family, understand what is standing in their way and help them see the next step. In this case, her Family Coach helped her realize that she had skills and experience that could lead to a better-paying job and a more stable future.
What Family Coaching makes possible
These are not isolated stories. They show what can happen when families have the right support at the right time.
A worker back on the job after an unexpected layoff.
A child care barrier removed so parents can return to work.
A family plan built around income, stability and the real cost of living.
This is family coaching in action.
It is not a referral. It is not one-time emergency assistance. It is walking alongside families, understanding what is standing in their way and helping them set goals that reflect their vision for success. That may mean increasing income, reducing debt, improving credit, finding more affordable housing, building savings or taking the next step toward long-term financial security.
Families are already doing their part. They are working, earning an income and making hard decisions in a region where the cost of living continues to outpace paychecks. What they need is support that meets them where they are and helps remove the barriers standing in their way.
And when that happens, stability becomes more than a goal. It becomes something families can build. One step, one plan and one family at a time. That is how we will reach our bold goal of uplifting 15,000 families out of poverty by 2035.