By Olivia Smith

In 2023 and 2024, the Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute conducted community needs assessments, gathering feedback directly from thousands of folks across the state about the most important issues facing their families and communities. One of the open-ended questions in our survey asked people about their hopes and dreams for their family or community. At the end of 2024, we wanted to reflect on the dreams and aspirations of ordinary Hoosiers who work tirelessly to build healthy, safe, and fulfilled lives for themselves and their families. While we can’t share each and every response, we certainly saw themes and common calls for change. Financial well-being is still elusive for too many, and more widespread economic security would yield benefits for all of us. Below are just some of Hoosiers’ hopes for the future.

 A dream I have for myself is…

• To get better insurance to cover my disabled children so I can return back to normal work
• To start a successful business that would benefit my community
• To live comfortably and not have to worry about if I'm going to have enough to pay my bills or provide for my son and myself
• To be healthy, and able to walk and work
• To get back to work and get on the vouchers again for my 16 month old to help pay daycare- I cannot afford it
• To be financially stable enough for me and my children to live comfortably without the stress and depression
• To feel more secure financially
• To give my son a better life

A dream I have for my community is…

• That parents don't need to worry about diapers and food for their children with how expensive it is
• That everyone have safe and affordable housing
• Better jobs that pay the money needed to thrive in today's economy
• To live peacefully and joyfully

And a final comment that struck a chord with me personally: “We are a small town with a big heart- we shouldn’t have people suffering as much as they are.”

We are exceptionally grateful to have our research and advocacy guided and grounded by the lived experience of Hoosiers across the state, and we want to thank everyone again who shared their experiences with us. As we begin 2025, we will keep these thousands of dreams for better lives and communities in the foreground as we continue our work to help all Hoosier families achieve and maintain financial well-being.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year from the Institute!

Looking for opportunities to be more involved this coming year?

• Sign up for our Get IN-VOLVED challenge
• Visit our Take Action page
• Donate to the Institute

This blog post was funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. We thank them for their support but acknowledge that the findings and conclusions presented in this are those of the author alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Foundation.