Journal Gazette: Stories of those who need to be told

SHERRY SLATER | The Journal Gazette

For some families, the descent into financial ruin is as sudden and swift as a free-falling elevator.

A baby born prematurely can rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills before coming home from the hospital. Or what had been a reliable paycheck can vanish when the employer who was signing it outsources work to cut costs.

For other families, being broke is just a way of life. Bad luck is like the steady drip of a leaky faucet. Sometimes, it spans generations.

Almost four in 10 Allen County residents are living hard-luck stories. For various reasons their income won’t cover basic living costs or allow them to save for a potential life crisis.