STORIES FROM ARISE

October 31, 2023: Alexandria Recurring Income for Success and Equity (ARISE) is the City of Alexandria’s guaranteed income pilot study, which began in February 2023. ARISE provides a $500.00 monthly payment to 170 randomly selected participants for 24 months with “no strings attached,” giving participants freedom to choose how to spend the money. Learn more about ARISE and find the answers to frequently asked questions.

This month is our second installment of ARISE stories. We meet two more Alexandrians at the six-month mark of the pilot program. Each participant shares a glimpse of what their life looks like now compared to six months ago. Have these individuals made changes? Are they simply a bit more comfortable living paycheck to paycheck? What aspects of their lives have changed from the guaranteed income?

The interviewees were delighted to share their experience with the program. Here are their inspiring stories.

ARISE Participant Interview: Erica

More than 4,000 Alexandrians applied for the ARISE program. Of those, 170 were randomly selected. With these figures in mind, it’s incredible to witness yet another participant’s good fortune in being selected and their account of the life-changing effects of ARISE. In Erica’s* situation, the program has been life-saving.

Retirement was not part of Erica’s short-term plan. She takes joy in working; she spoke at length about the many careers she’s held: receptionist, event specialist, armed and unarmed security, and a federal contractor with a security clearance. She’s worked in recovery centers, where she gained one life lesson after another, including “Everything in life prepares you for something else,” as she puts it. She found herself observing people’s behavior intently and learned the importance of choosing your words carefully—these individuals were experiencing homelessness, addiction, and other crises.

Erica says she worked with many seniors like herself and many “with a lot of regrets.” “Some bad choices follow you for the rest of your life,” she adds. It saddened her how rampant mental suffering is around us, and this only deepened her determination to maintain her positive outlook.

Erica has a truly remarkable approach to life, and it has served her well, especially at this stage. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 and was forced to leave her job in December 2022, leaving her with little income. She endured 20 weeks of chemotherapy. During this period, her retirement income barely covered her mortgage and condo fee. Fortunately, Erica had started receiving ARISE payments, and was able to pay for food, gas, and other necessities.

In addition to practicing everyday kindness and gratitude, Erica believes in persevering through the storms of life, as her faith teaches. There is no time or point for self-pity. Erica continues to look for ways to bring joy to the world around her, her circumstances notwithstanding. She related that she reached out to family members she had barely spoken to over the years and told them she loved them. And when her doctor advised her to lose weight to get better control of her diabetes illness, she sprang into action and lost 50 pounds.

While Erica is not saving for the future as she had hoped she would be when she first applied for the program, the $500 monthly payment has been the reason for her keeping her home and living a comfortable, dignified life.

Recently, after Erica’s successful treatment for breast cancer, she was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Her life has become even more unpredictable, yet her resolve is palpable. She says she is in great spirits and simply asks for positive thoughts to be sent her way. She keeps in mind that others are suffering too and expresses how grateful she is just to wake up every day, safe and alive at home.

“This program is a godsend,” Erica says. “With living expenses and condo fees rising, in addition to the mounting medical bills from my cancer treatment, life has been stressful.” Hearing the graveness of her situation, it is gratifying to know that a random-selection program like ARISE reached Erica.

“Without this assistance, I'd fall off the financial cliff. Knowing that I can count on this income lessens my stress and anxiety considerably,” Erica says as she expresses her thanks to ARISE again.

ARISE Participant Interview: Cindy

Two things make the story of ARISE participant Cindy* especially captivating. Firstly, her personal narrative is one many of us are charmed by: the tenacious, creative entrepreneur. Secondly, her story demonstrates both the diversity of the ARISE program participants and its far-reaching influence.

Cindy has an engaging personality. She’s in her 50s, is a well-educated professional, and speaks with confidence and eloquence. In addition to an impressive resume, she holds an MBA. She’s traveled to many adventure-filled locales, having worked at an airline and taking advantage of discounted flights. So, it’s no surprise to learn of her resolute response to one setback after another during the past few years of her life—a layoff, the “bleeding” of money that ensued, and, just when things were looking promising, the 2020 pandemic lockdown throwing a wrench into her plans.

When Cindy was laid off, the severance package only went so far. Her enterprising mind and creative flair merged, and an idea was born-- a small sustainable-fashion business**. She performs her craft at home using raw materials that she buys from suppliers. Cindy had just launched a pilot shop on the Etsy website, when COVID-related supply chain issues put everything to a stop. No longer able to easily buy the raw materials she needed, Cindy’s business was up in the air.

Meanwhile, Cindy decided that a backup plan made sense, in case her new business didn’t take off. After doing some research, she learned that Human Resources is one of the fastest growing professions and chose to pursue a certification program in that field. She ended up using her first ARISE payment to fund the exam, which was several hundred dollars.

Ever the go-getter, Cindy juggled her craft business while carrying out plan B—securing a part-time job from her HR certification. She signed with a temp agency, where an employer soon noticed the certification on her resume. Cindy was delighted; the employer was a small, woman-owned business looking for part-time help. The feeling was mutual; the company was so impressed by her, they told her she could  work full-time hours as her time permitted. Her plan B was solid.

Cindy is currently building her own website to sell her sustainable-fashion products so as not to completely rely on Etsy. The $500 monthly ARISE payment has allowed her to buy the needed supplies and pay for the web design.

But what really makes Cindy light up as she speaks is sharing how she’s helping. Helping the environment by championing the sustainable fashions movement, and, as it turns out, her immediate community. She hired some of her neighbors when she was studying, taking exams, or focusing on other things. She also hired teenagers from the neighborhood to take photos of the products, model the product, and help with the website. She even wants to bring on paid interns in the near future. Cindy shares how ARISE has helped her and others. “I feel this tremendous empathy now,” she says. “I feel like I'll be financially viable again, hopefully making other people financially viable. It's fun. It's like we're all in it together.”

There’s a lot to look forward to, and Cindy is eager to share her updates as well as advocate for ARISE in any way she can. “Thank you, ARISE,” Cindy repeats throughout the conversation. She adds, “I just feel safe now. It’s a relief to have gotten the funding. And it gave me confidence to not freeze my business, not freeze my plans.”

Before leaving, Cindy says with the smile that’s barely parted from her face, “Without ARISE, I wouldn't be employed right now.”

*The names have been changed to protect the participants' identity.

**Specifics around Cindy’s products are not revealed here to protect her idea while she is still building her business.