United Way of Adams County, Inc.

United Way of Adams County, Inc. United Way of Adams County serves the citizens of Adams County, Illinois. We partner with 16 local non-profits to maximize impact for our community!

United Way of Adams County would like to wish a very Happy Father's Day to all the dads, grandpas and father figures out...
06/21/2026

United Way of Adams County would like to wish a very Happy Father's Day to all the dads, grandpas and father figures out there. This day is all about you!

Just a reminder that we will be closed today and reopen at 8am on Monday morning!
06/19/2026

Just a reminder that we will be closed today and reopen at 8am on Monday morning!

What a great day at United Way of Illinois’s Annual Meeting! We were grateful for the opportunity to connect, learn, and...
06/17/2026

What a great day at United Way of Illinois’s Annual Meeting! We were grateful for the opportunity to connect, learn, and share ideas with fellow United Ways from across the state as we continue working to strengthen our communities together.

MARC your calendars for our upcoming resource fair. This one stop shop is a powerful one day event where you can come an...
06/16/2026

MARC your calendars for our upcoming resource fair. This one stop shop is a powerful one day event where you can come and learn more about all the resources Adams County has to offer!

More information on what agencies will be present will be available soon, but until then, we're here to provide you all the other details you need to know:

📅 July 22
⌚ 2PM to 6PM
📍 Kroc Center - Quincy, Illinois - 405 Vermont
💰 FREE to Attend

We all love a new shirt or a good shopping spree, but did you know that for the cost of a new tee, you could provide the...
06/15/2026

We all love a new shirt or a good shopping spree, but did you know that for the cost of a new tee, you could provide therapeutic support for a child facing a mental health emergency?

How you spend your money matters. A small monthly gift to United Way of Adams County can help school aged children receive therapy, right here in Adams County.

A simple choice can be life-changing.

If you found yourself wondering this week why we chose to tell the story of ALICE through fictional characters we’ve all...
06/12/2026

If you found yourself wondering this week why we chose to tell the story of ALICE through fictional characters we’ve all come to know and love, the answer is simple: ALICE often perceives their circumstances as something to keep private, but no one should have to carry those struggles alone.

We reached out to countless individuals and families, asking if they would be willing to share their stories. Many declined for different reasons, but one feeling surfaced again and again: the belief that their struggles weren’t important enough to talk about. Many felt uncomfortable being vulnerable. Some worried their story wasn’t “serious enough.” Others questioned whether they had done enough, worked hard enough, or somehow should be in a different place in life. There was a quiet feeling that maybe their experiences were simply something to carry privately rather than share openly. But we want to say this clearly: their stories matter.

Being ALICE is not simple, and there is no single decision, circumstance, or failure that makes someone ALICE. More often, there are larger systems at play, rising costs, stagnant wages, unexpected emergencies, caregiving responsibilities, housing challenges, childcare costs, and countless other realities that make stability harder to reach, even while doing everything “right.” ALICE is working. ALICE is showing up. ALICE is raising families, caring for loved ones, paying bills, and carrying invisible weight every single day.

That is why we chose stories told through familiar faces. Because sometimes it is easier to recognize struggle, resilience, hope, and humanity in characters we already love before realizing those same stories exist around us every day. While these fictional tales may have sparked laughter, sadness, nostalgia, or joy, the real stories are even more powerful. They belong to your coworkers. Your neighbors. Your friends. Your family. Maybe even you. And those stories deserve to be told without shame.

We are here to listen. We are here to uplift. And when you’re ready, we’d be honored to help tell your story too.

As night falls, our ALICE faces the hardest part of the day. The workday is over. The professional appearance slips off....
06/11/2026

As night falls, our ALICE faces the hardest part of the day.

The workday is over. The professional appearance slips off. And now Chris is left facing the reality he has spent all day trying to outrun.

Tonight, like so many nights before, he and his son move through the city, everything they own on their backs, searching for somewhere safe to rest. Every stop feels temporary. Every moment feels uncertain. He is doing everything he can to create safety in spaces never meant to feel like home.

But beneath that determination is a parent carrying impossible pressure. The pressure of protecting a child while barely staying afloat. Of trying to appear successful while struggling to survive. Of knowing there is no room for setbacks. And still, he does not stop trying.

The next morning, he will wake up, straighten his shirt and tie, take his son by the hand, and do it all again. Because that is what so many ALICE households do every single day.

Because ALICE is not about a lack of effort.

ALICE is the parent working every possible hour while still struggling to afford housing.

ALICE is the family choosing between stability and survival.

ALICE is the coworker carrying invisible burdens no one around them fully sees.

And for many families in Adams County, that reality is much closer than we realize.

At United Way of Adams County, we believe hardworking families should not have to face these struggles alone. This week, we ask you to remember the Chris Gardners in our community and consider how your support can help families move from surviving to thriving.

Donate to help ALICE’s like Chris Gardner: https://www.wcilgives.org/organization/United-Way-Of-Adams-County

06/11/2026

the many theme songs of ALICE

By midday our ALICE is exhausted with no room to slow down. Chris spends his afternoon moving between interviews, meeti...
06/11/2026

By midday our ALICE is exhausted with no room to slow down.

Chris spends his afternoon moving between interviews, meetings, sales calls, and responsibilities that never seem to stop piling up. Every moment matters because every opportunity feels tied to survival.

To the people around him, Chris appears determined and professional. He keeps showing up in a pressed shirt and tie, trying to look like someone whose life is stable. Beneath the surface, Chris is constantly calculating. Can he afford food today? Will they find somewhere safe to sleep tonight? How does he make his son feel secure while everything around them is uncertain?

Chris does everything possible to protect his child from the reality of their situation. He turns difficult moments into games. He keeps moving forward even when exhaustion takes over. He carries the weight of fear privately, so his son does not have to.

And still the pressure keeps building.

Because financial hardship does not always look the way people expect it. Sometimes it looks like a hardworking parent doing absolutely everything they can while still falling behind. Sometimes it looks like going to work every day while quietly wondering how close you are to losing everything.

That is the reality for ALICE. That is the reality for our neighbors right here in Adams County. They are employed. They are working hard. They are trying. And they are one emergency from losing everything they’re working towards.

This week, we ask you to think about the families around us who may be carrying these same invisible struggles and consider how your support can help lighten the load.

Donate to help ALICE’s like Chris Gardner: https://www.wcilgives.org/organization/United-Way-Of-Adams-County

Allow us to introduce you to today’s ALICE…Chris Gardner. Before the sun rises over San Francisco, Chris is already awak...
06/11/2026

Allow us to introduce you to today’s ALICE…Chris Gardner.

Before the sun rises over San Francisco, Chris is already awake. Not in the comfort of a stable home, but wherever he and his young son were able to safely rest for the night. He quietly gathers their belongings, straightens his shirt and tie, and prepares for another day of trying to hold everything together.

Because despite what many people assume about homelessness and financial hardship, Chris is not unemployed. He is not lazy. He is not unwilling to work.

Chris is working constantly.

He spends his days pursuing an unpaid internship at a prestigious brokerage firm, chasing the possibility of a stable future for himself and his son. Every day is a balancing act between professional expectations and survival. While trying to appear polished and capable in an office full of opportunity, he is simultaneously worrying about where they will sleep that night, whether they will have enough to eat, and how long he can keep shielding his son from the truth of their situation.

And underneath all of it is the constant pressure many parents know intimately.

Am I doing enough for my child?

How do I give him stability when I can barely hold on to it myself?

What happens if one more thing goes wrong?

These are not struggles unique to a movie screen. They are reality many hardworking families quietly face every day.

People like Chris Gardner are ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. They work hard. They show up. They sacrifice. They do everything they can to build something better for their families while living one setback away from crisis.

This week, we ask you to think about the Chris Gardners in our own community. The parents working tirelessly while quietly carrying impossible burdens behind closed doors.

Donate to help ALICE’s like Chris Gardner: https://www.wcilgives.org/organization/United-Way-Of-Adams-County

Today's ALICE is brought to you by Taylor Rebman Agency, Inc

Address

936 Broadway, Suite F
Quincy, IL
62301

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+12172225020

Website

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