NEEDS - About Us

NorthEast Emergency Distribution Services (NEEDS)

Mission Statement

North East Emergency Distribution Services (NEEDS) is a cooperative group of concerned community churches and civic organizations. It is our mission to do God’s work of caring for our neighbors by providing basic emergency assistance.

History

Today the NEEDS "coalition of churches and civic groups" is made up of about 25 area churches and civic organizations. But it wasn't always that way. Even if you are familiar with NEEDS, what you may not know is that the concept for what is now NEEDS actually began in the early 1980s as a clothes and toy swap in the garage of long-time Blue Ash Presbyterian Church member Mary Sue Dickmann. As Director of First Step Nursery School, Mary Sue recognized that there were way too many children right here in our community whose basic needs could not be met by their families. Unwilling to look the other way, Mary Sue approached BAPC's then pastor, Don Leckrone. Together, Don and Mary Sue worked to rally other pastors in the area who worked to rally their churches. In September of 1982, NEEDS was duly incorporated as a 501(c)3. Since then, NEEDS has been through many changes in terms of how it operates, but the mission remains the same.

Statistics

During 2017, NEEDS served 681 families with food, kept 44 families in housing by assisting with rent payments and assisted 99 families with utility payments.

Programs

School Supplies

Holiday Adopt-A-Family

Hats and Mittens Member Organizations collect warm hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves which are distributed to schools within the NEEDS service area in January. School nurses and teachers appreciate being able to supply students with these items on an as needed basis.