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?