Marshall County United Way Development Manager Brian Teall and Marshall County Community Foundation and United Way Executive Director Linda Yoder presented information to the Bremen Town Council members during their recent meeting about an opportunity for government financial support.
They asked the Bremen Town Council to help provide $35,000 in funding to help the county’s food distribution efforts, as well as housing and utility assistance. This is an extension of the Fund the Essentials campaign that was initiated in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and Marshall County residents were in need of help.
There is a 40 percent increase in food pantry assistance and the county’s distribution centers are looking for help which could include mobile food pantry distributions.
The United Way has seen a decrease in funding contributions and are asking municipal entities to help with the gap. Teall and Yoder noted there are obstacles in getting in to talk to employees about payroll deduction contributions due to solicitation restrictions, while industry closures, staff turnover, supply chain disruption, and inflation have impacted engagement.
Marshall County United Way is seeking a grant from Indiana United Ways for funding up to $75,000 in this endeavor. Overall, they are looking to collect $350,000 in getting help for Marshall County residents.
Council member Michael Leman commented that while he supports the efforts of the United Way it is not the responsibility of the Town of Bremen taxpayers to come up with a United Way contribution shortfall. Bremen Director of Operations Trend Weldy welcomed the pair to talk to the employees about payroll deductions to help in future fundraising efforts.
The Bremen Town Council did not formally take action on the funding request.
