Great Start Wayne County parents help meet 'basic needs' of struggling families
The urban landscape of Detroit-Wayne County appears to have little in common with the wide-open spaces and small towns of Montcalm County, hundreds of miles to the northwest.
Yet, hard times have rocked the economic supports of families with young children in both parts of the state. And to fight back, Great Start parents in Wayne and Montcalm counties are waging “basic needs” drives to help their neighbors.
In Wayne County, a Family Support/Basic Needs Action Team has been created to help families who are losing cash assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. This money has helped families pay for such items as diapers and other toiletries not covered by “bridge cards.”
“The basics are hard to come by when there’s no cash to purchase them,” said Ramana Roberson, parent liaison to the Wayne Great Start Collaborative.
