Local Needs
There are serious problems facing communities and families in the Big Bend. To name a few:
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Daily 1 out of 3 children across the Big Bend don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
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43% of Leon County households can’t afford basic needs, such as housing, food, healthcare, childcare, transportation, and technology. Jefferson County: 49%. Gadsden County: 59%. Taylor County: 63%.
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Only 54% of 3rd graders in Leon County public schools read on grade level.
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Over the past decade, more than 50 children have been injured or killed by gun violence in Leon County; almost all of these victims are Black.
These statistics represent real people who are struggling and reveal the gaps in our community that cause children and families to seek the charity and direct services our congregations provide weekly. They also present an opportunity for people of faith to powerfully “do justice” by annually pushing for just policies and practices that will bring abundance and safety to all in the Tallahassee area.
When Nehemiah heard the people’s experiences with injustice, he said he got “very angry” (5:6). So, the question is, when you consider these and other problems that impact children and families, what community problem do you most want to change?
Local Needs
