Overseeing the poor and distributing poor relief is a primary duty in many townships. The trustee is charged with caring for the poor by the most economical means available and at the same time is charged to be sure that the necessary needs of an individual or family are met. The applicant must show that they are unable to provide those needs through personal effort and that they have exhausted all other means.
Many trustees creatively cooperate with other agencies and churches in their areas, keeping costs controlled and delivering services needed. The advantage the Trustee’s system has over other forms of welfare is the freedom to discern whether an individual has and is willing to put forth that personal effort to help themselves. (Indiana Code Title 12).