Neighbors in Need
Do you have a neighbor experiencing financial trouble in this tough economy? A family member or friend? Are you going through hard times yourself? There are many in Michiana who have never seen greater need, who for the first time in their lives are seeking assistance from local agencies.
What can you do? Please join WSBT-TV, WSBT Radio and the South Bend Tribune in our campaign to help the "Neighbors in Need" in our community. We've teamed up with the Food Bank of Northern Indiana to raise awareness, identify need and get people to act.
Stay tuned to WSBT-TV, WSBT Radio and the South Bend Tribune as we share the stories of Neighbors in Need in your community.
How can I help?
- Donate money to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana.
- Donate food at any Martin’s Super Market. Just look for the Neighbors in Need barrel.
- Bring your food donations on Monday, February 15 at the WSBT Stations, 1301 East Douglas Road in Mishawaka, from 5 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Neighbors in Need Stories
SOUTH BEND — The envelopes from your bank and employer may be starting to pile up at home. It is the time of year people are starting to do their taxes. The United Way is helping local residents keep pennies in their pocket, by offering free tax preparation for those in need.
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At Emmons Elementary School in Mishawaka, social worker Rose Clark refers to the prepackaged bags of food sent home with needy kids each Friday afternoon as “snacks.”
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After seeing people stand in long lines outside the Elkhart WorkOne office and talking to his customers who struggle to be able to file online for unemployment benefits, one Goshen businessman is pledging to help.
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SOUTH BEND — Whether the worst of the recession over depends on who you ask. For Jeff Dittmer, things are looking better.
Last spring, Jeff was one of the many local faces of the unemployed.
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SOUTH BEND ‒ The devastation in Haiti has received a lot of attention, but local charities say the need locally is still great.
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GOSHEN--A Goshen business remains open on Sundays to help the unemployed. Last year at this time, Premier Rentals started opening its doors every Sunday, allowing people to use its computers to file for Indiana unemployment online.
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WAKARUSA--Some hard workers in Wakarusa built a community playround in just 5 days! Sunday, hundreds of children took it for a test drive.
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SOUTH BEND — Now through December, the United Way of St. Joseph County will investigate how it could — and whether it should — launch a new volunteer center.
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The holiday season is a great reminder about the importance of giving back to the community, and the Volunteer Center of Southwest Michigan is inviting families to get into the giving spirit. Executive Director Doris Higgins stopped by WSBT News First Thing in the Morning to talk with Kirk Mason about the event. It's this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Niles-Buchanan YMCA. There will also be a chance to learn more about the Walt Disney Parks "Give a Day, Get a Day" program, in which families can qualify for free passes to Disney theme parks when they volunteer in 2010.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 37 million Americans live in poverty, and the vast majority of them are in line for extra help under the giant stimulus package coming out of Congress. Millions more could be kept from slipping into poverty by the economic lifeline.
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SOUTH BEND — Some of the unemployed who are struggling aren't just taking classes to find a new job; they're learning how to change their lifestyles. That includes a group that may have it tougher than most. Single mothers living in poverty.
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — New census data shows Indiana's poverty rate reached 13.1 percent during 2008 and that more than 800,000 Indiana residents are living in poverty.
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CHICAGO (AP) — The estimate was startling, and made headlines around the country: Almost half of all U.S. kids will be on food stamps at some time during childhood.
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ELKHART — Some are hailing it as the latest sign that an economic comeback is underway. And, it comes from an unlikely place: United Way of Elkhart County, where donations are suddenly way up.
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ELKHART ‒ Volunteers will gather in Elkhart tomorrow to help get an accurate count of the number of homeless in the area. The figures will help determine how much government funding local social services agencies receive, but the challenge is finding where many of the homeless are.
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ELKHART COUNTY — While they spend much of their time helping people overseas, an outreach group focused its efforts on our own area Tuesday. Feed the Children sent a convoy of trucks to Elkhart County to help put food on the tables of the unemployed.
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Deer season is here, but not every hunter is taking their harvest home. Some are teaming up with a local meat processor to help feed hungry families this holiday season.
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SOUTH BEND ― It has been at least a decade since Randolph and Katherine McKenzie have enjoyed Christmas in a home they could call their own.
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SOUTH BEND— A local organization is working to help those on government assistance become self-sufficient.
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It's hard to land a job if you don't look the part. That's why Men's Wearhouse stores are teaming up with the Center for the Homeless for the second annual National Suit Drive.
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ELKHART — Volunteers from around Elkhart are working on a huge program to help needy students heading back to school. Their goal is to provide school supplies, clothing, food, heath screenings and even hair cuts for nearly 3,000 students. A small army of dedicated helpers is making it happen.
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Cash, check or a cord of wood for that doctor visit? As health care costs climb, old-fashioned bartering has seen brisk growth since the economy soured.
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SOUTH BEND — Most people have heard the phrase, "If you build it, they will come." That is certainly holding true at the area's newest food pantry.
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Indiana Drug Card, a new, statewide prescription cost help program, is offered free to all Hoosiers with no restrictions on income or age.
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SOUTH BEND — With everyone struggling to save in this rocky economy, even the smallest of home repairs doesn’t always fit into already tight budgets.
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