JEA Employees Gain Greater Empathy for Struggling Families through Meet ‘ALICE’

2025-02-21

Jacksonville, FL - To foster a deeper understanding of customers facing financial challenges, JEA employees participated in a simulation exercise designed to highlight the realities of living with limited financial resources. 

The United Way of Northeast Florida led a Meet “ALICE” poverty simulation at JEA on Feb. 20, offering insight into the experiences of working families who navigate constant financial pressures. ALICE, an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, represents members of the community who are employed yet struggle to afford basic necessities. In Northeast Florida, nearly 39 percent of households face financial hardship, with communities of color disproportionately affected.  

During this interactive experience on Feb. 20, more than 50 leaders and JEA team members had the opportunity to walk in the shoes of ALICE families, gaining valuable perspective on the difficult decisions and constraints many customers face daily. Each JEA employee was assigned a family group and received a role in that family. Some family members visited social services; many had transportation issues, and some got evicted. Some broke the law and got arrested.   

JEA employees called the simulation overwhelming but a great lesson in empathy.  “A simulation like this brings it home. It makes it feel real. When you’re having to get a pay day loan, or when the bank won’t cash your check because you don’t have an account,” said Steve Selders, vice president of Application Delivery & Enterprise Architecture.  

About JEA

JEA is a municipal utility providing safe, reliable and affordable services to more than one million residents across four Northeast Florida counties. JEA is not owned by investors and does not earn a profit. It was created by the City of Jacksonville to meet the electricity and water needs of those who live in Jacksonville and surrounding communities. JEA’s 2,200-plus workforce is dedicated to meeting customer needs, both today and for generations to come, while protecting our precious natural resources and supporting our region’s growth and economic development. Learn more at jea.com.

Media Contact

Karen McAllister
media@jea.com | 904-665-5500

Category:

• customer
• education