THE VOICE OF THE TOWNSHIP
As the last few needles of the Holiday Tree fall to the carpet and the warming glow of the yuletide log dwindles, people from all cultures and places ponder on what they can do to make life better in the coming year. With the excitement and passion one can derive from gazing into the future for the pursuit of a new goal, the Wayne Township staff will work diligently for its citizens so that great things can be accomplished as we make lasting changes to meet evolving needs.
The process of changing our daily routine is one that is very mundane in the beginning, as we must dedicate time each week to evaluating all that has transpired; both the good, and the not so good. The reward for staying the course and being dedicated to the mission is the pleasure of allowing your creativity to counteract the challenges you have uncovered to bring about a better township.
The greatest challenge encountered this year was the incredible increase in those requesting assistance. In 2002, a record of over 12,000 families sought services through the Wayne Township Office and it will be close to double that amount for 2003. Over the last five years, I have been very proud of a staff that has processed almost four times the number of families without an increase in numbers themselves. This strong willed dedication could no longer continue to meet the growing needs of those dealing with emergency situations, so this past year we carefully analyzed and purchased a document management system. We will now be able to complete casework in almost half the time and anticipate that this system will pay for itself by replacing the need for additional employees within the first year. This one application is just a fraction of what might be accomplished by taking advantage of current technology and we feel very confident that in the near future, we will be well known as the most efficient township in the state.
Several years ago, we set up an intern program with Ivy Tech State College to place students in our office as training investigators. This program yielded incredible success in that it provided Ivy Techs’ students with very valuable real life experience, and saved taxpaying citizens of Wayne Township thousands of dollars in training cost for new employees as two of these interns returned to fill openings in our office. We have now set up another intern program with Michiana College and look for continuing success as we due our part to combat the brain drain of our youngest and brightest. There has been great interest in these intern programs by our community partners and we hope to establish a board of academic institutions, social service agencies, and township offices that link opportunity with need, and save valuable tax dollars and donations that will be passed on as direct assistance.
There are many other opportunities for us to better ourselves in the coming year and plans are in the works to do so. As always, we welcome any suggestions from the community on how we might better serve them, and have seen tremendous results by being willing to listen. Looking back upon the objectives we set to accomplish almost a year ago, we are pleased with our successes but realize that our mission is ongoing and that success is a moving target. May you have prosperity and success in the New Year!
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