(Oct. 9) – In an effort to better measure the needs of nearly 47 million Americans living in poverty, one non profit and university are taking a different approach. The Salvation Army partnered with Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy to unveil Wednesday the Human Needs Index, an instrument which tracks state and national data online monthly since 2004.

(Oct. 8) – The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University and the Salvation Army have announced the launch of a multi-dimensional index of basic human needs in the United States. Designed to track on-the-ground indicators of poverty and its effects with less lag time than  traditional government data, the Human Needs Index (HNI) will aggregate data on seven services commonly delivered by nonprofits — meals provided, groceries, clothing, housing, furniture, medical assistance, and help with energy bills.

(Oct. 8) – The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy in Indianapolis and The Salvation Army have launched a tool designed to track basic human needs more quickly than by conventional government data. The Human Needs Index focuses on seven indicators, which are broken down nationally and by state.

(Oct. 7) – A new tool designed to track demand for human services aims to help nonprofits and policy makers implement long-term solutions to poverty, according to its creators.

(Oct. 7) – Indiana is taking longer to recover from the Great Recession than the nation as a whole, according to a new poverty measure released Wednesday by Indiana University and the Salvation Army.

(Oct. 7) – Charities working to reduce poverty can now take advantage of a new online tool that goes far beyond federal statistics in providing both regional and national data on basic human needs among the poor–and how those needs change over time.

(Sep. 18) – Data from the U.S. census Bureau shows West Virginia has the ninth highest poverty rate in the nation. This translates to almost 20% of West Virginians living in poverty. While these numbers may seem high, volunteer officials in Parkersburg say the local community seems to be having just as big of a struggle. A Salvation Army official says the demand for their services is extremely high and still growing. “When I found out that we had a budget to help and assistance of a thousand dollars, we quadrupled that to four thousand, and then six thousand,” said Major Mike Morton. “And we’re still running out of funds. So were seeing an unprecedented demand for our services and our assistance. People are coming to us everyday looking for the basics.”