THE VOICE OF THE TOWNSHIP
The Best Deal Is One That Is Good For All Those Involved!
The study of local governmental process over the last few months has revealed the wisdom of our Forefathers and State Legislators by revealing the efficiency of Townships holistic methods to those who had not been aware of them in the past. The citizenry of this community have kind and compassionate hearts, and when someone is in need due to circumstances beyond their control, they are drawn to the call for help. Townships such as Wayne Township provide this help in the form of public assistance to these individuals but only after it is proven necessary by the person in need providing all supporting documentation. After assistance is awarded to an applicant and the family is stabilized, they are asked to repay the community for their compassion by performing community service for a local not for profit agency, many of whom could not provide needed services without this source of labor. This specific example is just one of the programs that give back to the community through the Wayne Township Office. This past Sunday, an article in the Journal Gazette acknowledged our efforts to extend your compassion to the community through this program by providing a very brief overview of the “Workfare” program. Since many areas, which were only highlighted, I wanted to pass along a more in depth look at our efforts to serve.
Workfare is not just a program run by Wayne Township, there is actually an Indiana statute (Indiana Code 21-20-11) requiring township trustees to obligate recipients of township assistance to perform community service for local, not for profit agencies. This does not apply to those individuals who are physically unable to work, over 65, under 18, or those who must care for a household member because of age or physical condition.
The Wayne Township Trustee’s Office (WTTO) has service contracts with many local agencies. These agencies request workers for a variety of situations including janitorial, grounds keeping, and clerical duties. Over 400 individual workfare commitments have been assigned this year alone. WTTO recipients have completed over 12,000 hours of community service saving social agencies more than $62,000 in 2004.
Wayne Township is the only trustee office in Allen County that requires clients to repay the community for the benefits they receive. In an effort to expand the workfare in our county WTTO has developed a program allowing all adjoining townships to participate in the workfare process.
For many clients workfare is a way to accept assistance with dignity. Many of our older clients appreciate the opportunity to contribute their time to a community that has helped them with their basic needs. Workfare also provides skills to those individuals who have no work experience. Some of our clients have been fortunate enough to be hired by the agencies that participate in this program. WTTO also requires workfare clients to attend money management classes to reinforce the concepts of financial responsibility. For those clients who do not speak English ESL (English as a second language) classes are required. The same is true for those who have no high school diploma, GED classes must be completed or no future assistance will be considered.
All clients who request township assistance are also required to seek employment. During the application process they are required to complete a skills assessment form from our employment department. This department matches the skills of our clients with the employment needs of the community. Letters are sent to the clients telling them where to apply; if they don’t comply they are not eligible to receive assistance for 60 days.
Since the beginning of the year over 4,000 households have requested township assistance. Our local economy has been severely impacted by a loss of manufacturing jobs, and an overall national recession. With gas prices spiraling out of control and a rise in unemployment, township trustee offices across the state are being inundated with requests for help. The law requires the townships to provide assistance to those in need; it also requires trustees to be good stewards of your tax dollar. At Wayne Township we believe that all those who can work should be compelled to do so. We also believe that if assistance is granted and the community can be repaid, it should be. A very wise business professor at IPFW once told me that the best deal is one that is good for all those that are involved. I feel that the Wayne Township Workfare Program is a wonderful example of that.
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