Do YOU have a story?

It’s no secret that we have been facing a weak economy. Some recent data provides the real numbers that reflect what we have been seeing at CANI.

According to an article from the Associated Press, Indiana’s 211 network, which connects callers with health and human services agencies that can help provide food, utility and housing assistance, saw an 18 percent increase in calls. That translates to thousands of Hoosiers calling for help with utility and food bills.
The state's call centers fielded a record 445,000 calls in 2009, up from about 374,000 in 2008, said John Krom, executive director of the Indiana 211 Partnership based in Indianapolis, the article stated.
Many of those seeking help last year were first-time callers. These may be people who normally get by, but hard times have caused them to seek assistance. Health care, utility assistance and food topped the list of requests in 2009, according to the center's year-end report.
The Northeast Indiana 211 center, which serves 10 counties in the Fort Wayne area, reported an 11 percent increase in calls, with utilities, rent and food assistance among top requests.
Many of the people calling 211 are referred to CANI for help and we are able to help thousands of people each year. Despite this impact, there is always more that we could do and more families we could reach if we had greater resources. (Donations are gratefully accepted )
We are listening to the needs of the community and responding by developing ways to address these needs. CANI is the only agency of its kind in our region and we have the ability to reach the most people with the greatest needs.
Chances are you or someone you know has fallen on hard times as a result of the recession. Do you have a story? What are your challenges? How have you survived in these hard economic times?

The Cost of Bad Lending in Indiana

Predatory lending is an unethical practice that plagues many low-income people. Sadly, mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures are becoming more commonplace and the working poor are often the ones who are left in the cold.

The Center of Responsible Lending provided a snapshot of the foreclosure situation in Indiana. For example, in the third quarter of 2009 alone, there were 133,924 mortgages past due. And the situation is not getting any better. The Center projects 170,829 foreclosures between 2009 and 2012. And between 2006 and 2009, the foreclosure rate rose by an astronomical amount of 57 percent!

You can do your part to lobby for responsible lending legislation. More regulations on banks and other lenders could mean fewer people falling into the mortgage crisis mess.

We urgently need financial reforms that will make consumer loans safer for American families and the lending markets more fair and efficient for honest businesses. Find out more about the benefits of the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency at www.responsiblelending.org/cfpa.

The EITC Explained

Taxes are on people’s minds this time of year. And appropriately, Friday Jan. 29 is EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) Awareness Day.

So what is the EITC and how does it benefit low-income families?

The EITC is basically “free” money for low-income folks who are working. Created in 1975, the EITC helps offset Social Security taxes and provides an incentive for work. It is the federal government’s largest benefits program for working families.

The credit can be significant: the new maximum credit for tax year 2009 is $5,657 for a family with three or more children; $5,028 for a family with two children; $3,043 for a family with one child and $457 if there are no children.

Think how much good $5,000 can do for a family in need!

As much as $6 million in tax credits go unclaimed in Allen County each year, so volunteers are working hard to help people who are eligible claim this money. Nationally, it’s estimated that 20 to 25 percent more people may qualify for EITC, but may not be aware of it.

There are more than 12,000 free tax preparation sites nationwide and CANI is proud to be a site again this year. Volunteers from the Volunteer Center @RSVP will be available at CANI from Jan. 30 to April 13, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m.

If you know of someone who you think might be eligible, please encourage them to ask about this tax credit. More information is available at www.irs.gov.