Here's the information about our fourth Impact Area

Reinforcing our Basic Needs

Problem:

- 12.4% of all persons in Summit County in 2006 lived in poverty

- 9.1% of all families in Summit County in 2006 lived in poverty

- 16.1% of all children in Summit County in 2006 lived in poverty

- Summit County's primary information & referral agency received more than 14,000 (approximately 2,300 per month) requests for assistance with basic life needs during the first half of 2007, including the following requests/referrals:

- 7,675 requests for emergency food assistance
- 3,453 requests for utility payment assistance
- 1,509 requests for rent & security payment assistance
- 1,472 requests for general financial assistance including medical assistance
- 493 requests for emergency shelter assistance

- 837 requests were received for assistance with emergency medical prescriptions

- 88% of persons participating in basic needs/emergency assistance services of a local agency have annual incomes of less than $10,000

- The number of families experiencing actual utility shutoffs or threatened shutoffs continues to increase

Solution:

United Way of Summit County works with affiliated and community agencies to build an environment to ensure that individuals, seniors and families have access to temporary emergency services. Some of the programs that produce these results include:

* Emergency shelter for men, women and families
* Rape Crisis Hotline and sexual assault services
* Single family disaster assistance
* Civil legal services
* Emergency community health care
* Information and referral services
* Limited assistance with utility bills


Results:

# Nearly 80,000 persons learned where to turn for help when they needed it through information and referral programs
# Emergency shelter in a safe, supportive environment was provided to 625 women and children
# Over 400 women were served by crisis intervention services enabling them to free themselves and their children from domestic violence in their home
# Nearly 50,000 persons in Summit County received emergency food, shelter, prescription drugs, utility assistance, and clothing and furniture to provide short term basic needs