Elevate the mission.
The FUN Township Trustee office exists for one reason: to be a lifeline for people in crisis. Every policy, every process, every hour of operation should serve that mission. Right now, not all of them do.
The office today…
Appointment-only, Monday through Thursday, 8am to 5pm — hours that working people can't always keep. All adult household members required in person for intake. Income limits tied to federal poverty guidelines that haven't kept pace with what it actually costs to live in Johnson County. And low enough community visibility that most residents don't know this resource exists until they're already at bottom.
That's not a failure of mission. It's a failure to evolve.
Elevate the mission means this:
Virtual intake interviews — so residents don't need transportation, childcare, or a day off work just to ask for help.
Reassessed income guidelines — to qualify for assistance, you currently have to be earning near poverty wages by any modern measure. MIT calculates the liveable wage for a single adult in Johnson County at $23.27 an hour. Most people who need this office don't qualify for it. I intend to change that.
Proactive community presence — active coordination with local organizations already in the field, so residents know this resource exists before they hit crisis.
Modern access for a modern community. The mission doesn't change. Everything built around it should.
Why I’m Running
For nearly a decade — long before any organization, any office, any formal role — this was just what I did. Care bags and snacks kept in my car to hand out. Community meals hosted out of my own home. Blankets handed out at shelters. Showing up quietly because that's what neighbors do.