PLYMOUTH — Marshall County United Way Development Manager Brian Teall and Executive Director for Marshall County Community Foundation and United Way Linda Yoder approached the Plymouth Common Council for $70,000 for Fund the Essentials 2.0; a financial support campaign designed to meet the sharp increase in needs among ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) families for food, utilities, and rental assistance along with a debilitating decline in workforce campaign financial support.
According to Yoder, the 2021 ALICE report conducted and released by Rutgers University revealed that 41% of Marshall County families are living in federal poverty or are living paycheck to paycheck. Yoder suspects that those numbers, due to the pandemic, are actually higher than they were in 2021.
About $550,000 from the first Fund the Essentials Campaign including funding from the Lily Endowment Grant allowed for the distribution of $768,000 to community partners with 42% going toward food assistance and 27% going toward housing assistance.
Though Teall has organized a robust fund raiser “The Blueberry Half Pot”; the needs are rising and immediate.
Yoder stated that the cost of housing and childcare are a challenge for working families. Recently she was informed by an employer in Bremen that one of their employees was homeless and in need of affordable workforce housing.
According to Yoder, it costs $25,000 to provide mobile food distributions; funds are so depleted that they cannot afford to host one. Food pantries are reporting an increase in workforce family need.
Member Greg Compton asked if Teall expects to make this request every year. Teall answered no.
Compton made a motion to support Fund the Essentials 2.0 in the amount of $75,000 to be rescinded from the $175,000 that was allocated to Blue Zones this year from the American Rescue Plan Act funds. Member Duane Culp seconded that motion. Compton added that the Blue Zone issue could be revisited; Fund the Essentials 2.0 is an immediate need.
Member Jeff Houin and member Robert Listenberger discussed approving a pledge to fund the need but determine the funding source at a later time.
After some discussion, Compton repeated his motion without further amendment. The Council approved Compton’s motion unanimously.
