February 2007
Basic Needs Impact Area

• During the month of January, 151 families received gently used furniture through the Furniture Mission.  Families receive items such as beds, couches, chairs and tables to help them turn their houses into homes.
• 32 families were provided with transitional housing through the Heartland House.  Families are provided with the tools they need to become self-sufficient, attending classes on finances, time management, parenting and more.
• Over 800 people were provided basic needs assistance through the Salvation Army in January.  Assistance includes help with rent and utility bills, providing boxes of food to area senior citizens, and more.  Additionally, 520 meals were served through the Night Watch program.

What Matters

A young blonde woman holding a baby on her hip quietly opens a glass door. Her eyes are diverted down as she approaches the front desk. You can feel her disappointment as she enters the room.

“Can I help you with something,” asks the front desk associate at Community Outreach with a smile.

“Yes, I need help with my rent. I’ve been working two jobs and my daughter was sick and we had to take her to the emergency room,” the woman says so quickly she barely breathes while talking. “I had to miss work and then the doctor's bill … our insurance just didn’t cut it. And now I’m $200 short for rent and I don’t know where else to go.”

“That’s what we’re here for. Let’s sit down and talk about your current situation, how we can help, and how we can prevent this from happening again,” responds the associate reassuringly.

This is a situation that many families are going through on a daily basis. They may be working two or three jobs, but earning minimum wage and any everyday interruption; sickness, a car breakdown, a child who is ill; can cause a major setback in their daily lives and paying for things like rent, utilities, and food. In fact, 40% of single mothers with children under 5 in the Sioux Empire are living in poverty conditions.

Thanks to assistance from the Sioux Empire United Way, Community Outreach is able to assist families with one-time assistance with rent, utilities, and transportation. Additionally, Community Outreach provides information and referrals to these families to connect them with services that can help them provide a safe and loving home life as well prevent future use of social services.

Because we know what matters.

And what matters to these families … “I don’t know what we would have done without Community Outreach, it was our last resort and the only way to help us stay self-sufficient and get back to our normal lives.”

The Decision Makers

There are currently 8 volunteers on the Basic Needs Impact Team.  These individuals provide stewardship to United Way contributors while planning, setting priorities, distributing funds and developing collaborative community solutions.

This team specifically addresses the needs of low-income individuals and families for basic survival: food, shelter, and utilities. The Team focuses on ways to help people become self-sufficient.