What Poverty Sounds Like in 2019
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://uwci.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/8061-211-Basic-Needs-Fund_v5.mp4"][/video] Do you have a roof over your head?Can you afford next month’s energy bill?Do you know where your next meal is coming from? For over 230,000 central Indiana families, the answers to these questions change from day to day. Like the voices you heard in the video, some situations often strike without warning – leaving those impacted feeling hopeless and fearful of their future. At United Way, we know that for one person or family to achieve a path to self-sufficiency, their basic needs must be met. That’s why we created the Basic Needs Fund, an initiative that’s dedicated to leaning on the work of our community partners, donors, advocates, and volunteers to leverage assistance and programs to people who need it most. The Basic Needs Fund gives us a chance to zero in on poverty like never before. With over a century of experience serving some of our most vulnerable neighbors, we’re not just bringing the right partners and people to the table, we’re raising our hands and elevating our work to reach every person in every community. We’re taking a hard look at research, swaying public policy, and convening on the discussions that will eventually get us to our goal: ending generational poverty in our six-county region. The conversations surrounding poverty can be difficult but coming together to address and tackle this systemic issue doesn’t have to be. Join us as we build a foundation for individuals and families to not only survive, but thrive, right here in central Indiana.