Frequently Asked Questions
1. WHAT COMMUNITY NEED(S) DOES YOUR AGENCY MEET?
- There is an increasing distance between the rich and the poor, with 20% of American children and 15.1% of all Americans living in poverty.
- On almost all measures - unemployment, welfare rates, crime, infant mortality, out-of-wedlock and teenage births, school achievement, homelessness, and substance
abuse the condition of families in recent years has worsened, in both cities and rural areas.
- There is a declining sense of community and an increasing trend toward alienation and isolation.
- Violence in the home and community is increasing at alarming rates.
- Corporate downsizing is accelerating, with job growth being primarily in the service sector where the pay is frequently less than the pay in the manufacturing sector. Job loss now increasingly impacts white-collar as well as blue-collar families.
- Abuse of alcohol and other drugs is a significant issue for many families.
- There is rising concern that young people are not being adequately prepared to assume jobs and an
assumption that the problem lies primarily in the education
system, with little focus on the role of the family and community in resolving these
issues.
and there are fewer supports for families to rely on.
- There appears to be a movement away from cultural mores that we, as a society, have a broad-based
responsibility for one another.
2. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR ANNUAL BUDGET IS FUNDED BY
UNITED WAY?
United Way funded 14% of our 2004 Budget and a projected 15% of our 2005 Budget.
3. IN ADDITION TO MAKING A FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION, HOW ELSE COULD SOMEONE HELP YOUR AGENCY?
They could serve on a variety of special event committees, including the following:
- Penny Harvest
- Golf Outing
- Homeward Bound
Quality Assurance advisory committees for:
- Consumer Credit Counseling Service
- Family Self-Sufficiency
- Healthy Families
- Montgomery County Programs, or White County Programs.
Also volunteer to help with:
- data entry
- filing and other administrative tasks
- distributing brochures
- assistance with program needs such as child care, transportation, etc..
4. WHAT MISCONCEPTIONS EXIST REGARDING YOUR AGENCY OR THOSE WHO USE THE SERVICES YOU PROVIDE?
- we are a government agency
- we serve only the poor
- we provide family planning/abortion counseling
- we don't take clients with mental health insurance coverage
- we see counseling clients for prolonged periods of time
- we are totally funded by United Way
- we don't need to do independent fundraising
- we are not able to respond to immediate crises
- we do not hold our clients accountable to achieve specific goals
- we rely on volunteers to work with clients and do not have a highly trained professional staff
- we are not a major provider of services to the elderly
5. WHAT WOULD YOUR AGENCY LIKE THE PUBLIC TO KNOW ABOUT IT?
- we work with families of all ages and income levels on a sliding fee scale
- we can help employers deal with workplace issues which arise because of employees' financial, family and/or personal problems, as well as workplace violence and trauma
- we have a talented staff of credentialed professionals
- we take most mental health insurance coverage
- people do not have to be "crazy" or in the depths of despair to benefit from our services
- we often serve as the "first stop" for clients in developing a plan to address their problems which incorporates not only our own programs but also a variety of other community resources
- we have numerous meaningful volunteer opportunities
- we use Tippecanoe County United Way dollars exclusively for Tippecanoe county residents or employees
- we participate in over 25 community service organizations to foster collaboration in meeting community needs
- we coordinate National Family Week in TippecanoeCounty to publicize the importance of families as the cornerstone of society
- we serve over 13,000 families and children each year in Tippecanoe and the surrounding counties
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