MARION COUNTY — Indianapolis is stepping up to support families in need by offering a wealth of resources to address various challenges. Whether it's help with child support or family services, or assistance with legal issues or drug addiction problems, the city wants to help.
On Wednesday, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office hosted its Family Support Resource Day, providing an opportunity for residents to learn more about many of the services available to them.
"Today is really just about pulling all those resources, putting them in one spot so people are aware of what’s out there and just get a better sense of what opportunities exist to maybe help out with some of the challenges they’re facing," Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears explained.
One participant, Juanita Oakley, only recently discovered the event was even happening.
"I came across it at the child support office, and I just thought I’d come out here," she said.
Oakley told WRTV she was surprised by all the resources she learned about.
"There’s plenty of tables here of things that are needed or we’re complaining about in the community," she said.
Among the organizations present was Nurse-Family Partnership, which assists first-time pregnant mothers. Debora Holmes, a representative from the organization, noted that many individuals are still unaware of the program, despite its 11-year history.
"I was hoping to find more mothers to let them know about the program because everybody doesn’t know," she explained. "And so because we’re here, we’re open wide to tell them about the program."
Mears explained that many other organizations feel the same way.
"I think a lot of times there are a ton of people who are trying to do the right thing, who want to do the right thing; they just need to be pointed in the right direction," he said. "There are a ton of resources and organizations in our community that want to offer that helping hand."
For attendees like Oakley, the event proved valuable, leaving her with a wealth of information and resources.
"I got a couple more going down that way… today’s been eventful," she noted.
If you need information or assistance regarding services available throughout Marion County, you can reach out to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office.
You can also go to the city's website at indy.gov or you can contact Indiana211.
