News
ENLARGE
As a recently divorced mother with two children and a third on the way, Karen was working full-time to support her family.
But when she lost her unborn baby due to medical complications, the bills reached nearly $35,000 and threatened financial ruin.
With few options, she turned to the Family and Intercultural Resource Center, where she received the help she and her two daughters desperately needed.
FIRC helped Karen work with the medical providers to reduce her bills by nearly 80 percent and set up a payment plan she could afford.
Within a year, she had paid off the medical expenses while still supporting her family.
FIRC is one of many organizations that will benefit from the large-scale community fundraiser, Summit County Cares, this holiday season.
“A lot of our grants are tightening their belts and have lowered how much money they are giving to us,” said Jaime Harmon, FIRC’s development and volunteer manager. “A lot of those foundations have been affected by the financial crisis, and that’s a big reason we are trying to turn towards the community with the Summit County Cares campaign and asking everyone to just give $5.”
Members from each of the Summit County media organizations — including Krystal 93, NRC Broadcasting, RSN, SCTV, Comcast and the Summit Daily News — in conjunction with The Summit Foundation and local nonprofit organizations have joined forces to help address basic-needs assistance for Summit County residents.
The campaign is running through Dec. 31 throughout Summit County. The goal is to raise $125,000 to assist residents in financial crises. This will give the community much-needed aid for emergency food, rent assistance, utility assistance, health care and clothing.
As well as advocating for families with medical expenses, FIRC also helps residents with their rent and general costs associated with their homes, counseling, food drives and more.
For instance, FIRC helped an older woman named Janet, who had been able to make ends meet on her fixed income until the recent rise in energy costs. She received a disconnect notice last winter and was in danger of having her heat turned off.
FIRC paid the energy costs, helped Janet weatherize her home and created a plan to lower her energy expenses for winters to come.
As costs rise for residents, FIRC is seeing more people seeking assistance, Harmon said.
“During downward times, we are needed the most, but we get less support,” she said. “In the last few months, we have had a record number of visitors in the food bank, and a lot of the visitors have never asked for help or needed help.”
Working with the Summit County Cares campaign and several other businesses will allow FIRC to help every family in need this holiday season.
“In the past, we’ve needed about $50,000 to cover everything just on our end,” Harmon said. “So the $125,000 will be able to help us give scholarships to people who need medical assistance, as well as people who are in abuse situations. And advocates that need clothing or housing, we can help them out as well.”
But when she lost her unborn baby due to medical complications, the bills reached nearly $35,000 and threatened financial ruin.
With few options, she turned to the Family and Intercultural Resource Center, where she received the help she and her two daughters desperately needed.
FIRC helped Karen work with the medical providers to reduce her bills by nearly 80 percent and set up a payment plan she could afford.
Within a year, she had paid off the medical expenses while still supporting her family.
FIRC is one of many organizations that will benefit from the large-scale community fundraiser, Summit County Cares, this holiday season.
“A lot of our grants are tightening their belts and have lowered how much money they are giving to us,” said Jaime Harmon, FIRC’s development and volunteer manager. “A lot of those foundations have been affected by the financial crisis, and that’s a big reason we are trying to turn towards the community with the Summit County Cares campaign and asking everyone to just give $5.”
Members from each of the Summit County media organizations — including Krystal 93, NRC Broadcasting, RSN, SCTV, Comcast and the Summit Daily News — in conjunction with The Summit Foundation and local nonprofit organizations have joined forces to help address basic-needs assistance for Summit County residents.
The campaign is running through Dec. 31 throughout Summit County. The goal is to raise $125,000 to assist residents in financial crises. This will give the community much-needed aid for emergency food, rent assistance, utility assistance, health care and clothing.
As well as advocating for families with medical expenses, FIRC also helps residents with their rent and general costs associated with their homes, counseling, food drives and more.
For instance, FIRC helped an older woman named Janet, who had been able to make ends meet on her fixed income until the recent rise in energy costs. She received a disconnect notice last winter and was in danger of having her heat turned off.
FIRC paid the energy costs, helped Janet weatherize her home and created a plan to lower her energy expenses for winters to come.
As costs rise for residents, FIRC is seeing more people seeking assistance, Harmon said.
“During downward times, we are needed the most, but we get less support,” she said. “In the last few months, we have had a record number of visitors in the food bank, and a lot of the visitors have never asked for help or needed help.”
Working with the Summit County Cares campaign and several other businesses will allow FIRC to help every family in need this holiday season.
“In the past, we’ve needed about $50,000 to cover everything just on our end,” Harmon said. “So the $125,000 will be able to help us give scholarships to people who need medical assistance, as well as people who are in abuse situations. And advocates that need clothing or housing, we can help them out as well.”
