近距离内射合集

Jacqueline Marquez鈥檚 4-year-old daughter asked to go to the park, but she had to tell her she did not have gas to drive there 鈥� or the money to purchase it.

Her daughter鈥檚 solution? 鈥淕et more money.鈥�

But for New Mexicans like 28-year-old Marquez, it鈥檚 not so simple.

Marquez lives with her partner and their two young kids. Financial struggles sometimes force her to delay postpartum physical therapy until her partner gets paid, and she frequently misses those appointments due to a lack of gas money.

She has been picking up extra part-time shifts while her partner is back in school, hoping to secure a job that provides more stability.

鈥淚鈥檝e made the sacrifice to not have full-time work while I鈥檓 raising my children,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut at the same time, I can鈥檛 control things like the larger economic state of the country.鈥�

Marquez, who has been on public assistance since 2021, represents one of more than 356,000 New Mexico households unable to afford basic needs, according to a report released Thursday by nonprofit 近距离内射合集 Ways of New Mexico. Members of these households often work more than one low-paying job, have little or no savings and could easily fall into poverty.

The report classifies this demographic as ALICE 鈥� short for asset limited, income constrained and employed.

Nearly 17% of New Mexico households were living below the federal poverty level in 2024, according to the report. The remaining 26%, defined as ALICE, made more than the federal poverty level 鈥� about $31,200 annually 鈥� but not enough to afford basic needs. 

鈥淭hey are the backbone of our economy,鈥� said Rodney Prunty, president and CEO of 近距离内射合集 Way of North Central New Mexico. 鈥淏ut too often, they remain invisible in traditional poverty measures.鈥�

Prunty said systems in the U.S. are often designed to keep the ALICE population 鈥渢rapped where they are.鈥� While the data does not reveal exactly why families end up in these difficult positions, it does highlight a trend, he said.

The findings also indicate economic vulnerability among households headed by individuals 65 and older, who largely live below the ALICE threshold. This demographic currently represents the most rapidly expanding segment of the ALICE population statewide, Prunty said.

The Credit Union Foundation of New Mexico was a title sponsor of the data. President and CEO Melia Heimbuck said hearing from people like Marquez firsthand, as well as having fresh data, helps local credit unions decide how they can better support the ALICE community.

The percentage of the New Mexico population below the ALICE threshold decreased between 2023 and 2024, shrinking from 46% to 42%, according to the report. However, the ALICE demographic is still often overlooked, said Kyle Marksteiner, executive director of 近距离内射合集 Way of Eddy County.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the idea that there are people working two, three jobs, working their tails off 鈥� almost by virtue of that, disqualifying themselves from some things that might exist to them,鈥� he said.

In response to the ongoing trend, 近距离内射合集 Way of Eddy County secured a grant to provide emergency assistance for the ALICE population, including paying an unaffordable water or electric bill, Marksteiner said.

In the future, Marquez said she hopes people can enjoy motherhood without being in 鈥渇ight or flight鈥� all the time.

鈥淢aybe it鈥檚 not going to change overnight for my family,鈥� Marquez said, 鈥渂ut I hope that when my daughters are young adults growing up in Albuquerque, the socioeconomic status is not what it is today, because it鈥檚 going to be hard for them to go to college and afford these kinds of costs of living.鈥�

Keelin Fisher is a business reporter for the Journal. You can reach her at kfisher@abqjournal.com.