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Article: In hard-hit Indiana, churches pull together.(CENTURY news)
- Article from:
- The Christian Century
- Article date:
- June 2, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 The Christian Century Foundation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The annual Family Fest at Bethany Christian Schools in Goshen, Indiana, is usually a joyous event as families auction off handmade quilts, furniture and other goods in the annual school fund-raiser. But this year, double-digit unemployment rates overshadowed the event with a sense of anxiety. The event failed to match last year's proceeds.
Indiana's Elkhart County has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country--20 percent, which is more than twice the national average. And in this overwhelmingly Christian community with a significant Mennonite population, churches are being called upon more than ever to help meet physical and spiritual needs.
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