Say Check, Please!

In this post, I want to showcase just a few photos of leaders from our nonprofit parters in The Ohio Benefit Bank expansion events posing with the $2,500 novelty checks from Theresa Wukusick, executive director of the HealthPath Foundation of Ohio. 

The check presentation comes at the conclusion of the 90-minute OBB/HealthPath event when Wukusick addresses the group and discusses the role her foundation wants to play in improving elements of health in it.

The nonprofits receive the real $2,500 check from either the AmeriCorps*VISTA with whom they worked or another representative of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks (OASHF) once the meeting has concluded. The funding is considered a small grant to assist the organizations in maintaining and/or expanding their involvement with The Ohio Benefit Bank .

I, and staff of OASHF and HealthPath are thrilled with the success rate of these events and all the good they are doing.

Please take a look at the pictures and feel free to put in your two cents.

(Left to Right) HARCATUS Executive Director Michele Lucas stands next to Theresa Wukusick, executive director of the HealthPath Foundation of Ohio, with a $2,500 novelty check at the first of three HARCATUS OBB events on June 15 at the organization's main office in New Philadelphia. Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard

Wukusick and Lucas worked together previously when the HealthPath leader had a position with Catholic Charities. The two had a friendly runion at the start of The Ohio Benefit Bank event.

(Left to Right) Erica Salisbury, case manager with HARCATUS, and  Theresa Wukusick, executive director of the HealthPath Foundation of Ohio, stand holding an oversized version of the $2,500 check that the organization received on June 17 at the OBB/HealthPath event in Carrollton. Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard

Salisbury acted as a substitute for HARCATUS Executive Director Michele Lucas, who was unable to attend The Ohio Benefit Bank events in Carroll and Harrison counties because of a time conflict. She is familiar with the OBB and its services because of her training as an OBB counselor.

(Left to Right) Robin Seemann, economic program development director of Trillium Family Solutions, Inc., holds the $2,500 novelty check Theresa Wukusick, executive director of the HealthPath Foundation of Ohio, presented to her at the July 20 event in the conference room of Trillium in Canton. Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard

Wukusick applauded the efforts of Seemann and other Trillium employees for their long-term involvement with The Ohio Benefit Bank. Trillium Family Solutions, Inc. has served as an OBB site for several years, and processes hundreds of electronic OBB applications annually.

(Left to Right) Theresa Wukusick, executive director of the HealthPath Foundation of Ohio, stands next to Kelly Weyand, site manager for The Way Station,  holding the $2,500 novelty check during the OBB event on July 22 at The Way Station's main office in Columbiana. Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard

Weyand manages a staff of five full-and-part-time staff at The Way Station's two locations -- Columbiana and East Liverpool. In 2009, the organization assisted more than 21,000 people, including having OBB counselors offer tax assistance and help clients fill out applications for food assistance and other programs.

(Left to Right) Theresa Wukusick, executive director of the HealthPath Foundation of Ohio, stands next to Lisa Ward, community support program administrator for Jefferson Behavioral Health System in Steubenville  on July 14 at an expansion event for The Ohio Benefit Bank at the health system's satellite office Beacon House in Steubenville . Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard

Ward and the other staffers with Jefferson County Behavioral Health Systems work with the often overlooked population of mentally unstable and developmentally delayed individuals who may be eligible for assistance programs, but are unable to go through the application process on their own. Beacon House and the health system's other offices have OBB Certified Counselors who can quickly walk clients through the OBB system and see that they get the benefits for which they are eligible.