Brightpoint recently updated its Community Needs Assessment – a report that takes a detailed look at the 15 counties Brightpoint serves. The purpose of the report is to better understand the needs of people in our communities and improve services.

LaPorte, St. Joseph, and Wabash Counties were added to the assessment this year as last year Brightpoint’s service area expanded to include these counties.

The Community Needs Assessment shows the effects of poverty on people of all ages, races, and zip codes. Brightpoint has designed the report to be useful for anyone needing to find trends in unemployment, population data, and educational attainment.

This year, Brightpoint added information on topics of special interest including an in-depth look at transportation, food deserts, and payday lending. A section on economic development was also added to emphasize the importance of community growth on individual self-sufficiency.

In Brightpoint’s service area, 15.6% of the population is at or below the poverty guideline and 22% of this group are under the age of 18. The unemployment rate dipped slightly to 4.5%; however, the median household income in Brightpoint’s service area ranges from $39,885-$54,023.

These facts are just a small piece of the whole picture provided in the Community Needs Assessment. To read the full report, visit Brightpoint’s web site mybrightpoint.org/cna.