Butler Co. OBB Event

The newest part of our Capacity Building events for The Ohio Benefit Bank in partnership with the HealthPath Foundation of Ohio AmeriCorps*VISTA Alesha Rademan organized her first event Friday.

The OBB/HealthPath event was done in conjunction with Shared Harvest Foodbanks in Butler County.
Alesha had an intimate gathering and secured at least one new OBB site from her afternoon meeting.

Nicely done, Alesha! We're delighted that you're on the team and cannot wait to see how all your OBB/HealthPath events turn out!

Below are some photos from the event.





OASHF Regional Coordinator Meredith Hill addresses the small group at AmeriCorps*VISTA Alesha Rademan's OBB/HealthPath event Friday, Sept. 24 in Butler County. Photo Credit: Alesha Rademan.



Shared Harvest Foodbanks of Butler County receives a check for $2,500 at the OBB/HealthPath event on Friday, Sept. 24 in Butler County. Photo Credit: Alesha Rademan.



In light of our success of the slideshow of the WKLM Radio interview with Greer Connor, North Coast Regional Coordinator with the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, I've decided to expand on the idea of a series of photos together to highlight an idea about the Capacity Building events that OASHF and the HealthPath Foundation of Ohio are collaborating on. Please do take 30 seconds to see the video below. I'm delighted with the range of photographs that AmeriCorps*VISTAs Sara Mraz, Rich Field and Jessica Burchard were able to provide for this. Each photograph shows a representative -- usually an organization's executive director -- standing beside Theresa Wukusick, executive director of the HealthPath Foundation of Ohio, as she or an OASHF representative presents the organization with a $2,500 mini grant to maintain and expand its current OBB program.
Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Listen to Greer Connor's Radio Interview

Our friend, Michele Simmons, at WKLM Radio in Millerburg graciously agreed to send the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks a copy of the interview she conducted with Greer Connor on Wednesday, Sept. 8 at The Love Center.

This event was the Capacity Building event for The Ohio Benefit Bank in Holmes County. It drew a crowd of about 15 people, including State Rep. Dave Hall, R-97th district, Ann Gastier from the Holmes County Education Foundation and John Lorson, a representative of Wayne College's Holmes County Higher Education Center.

We are very pleased to make accessible the interview. Please take a listen below:

Again, thank you to Michele and the folks at WKLM for attending  our informational event in Millersburg and for being so generous with their coverage of us and the OBB cause.

Rich and Jessica Prepare for OBB/HealthPath Events

As everyone knows, events don't just happen. Someone has to take time to coordinate them.

It starts with selecting a time, date and location before moving on to sending out invitations and then setting up for the actual event.

The following photos depict just a fraction of all the legwork that AmeriCorps*VISTAs Rich Field, Sara Mraz, Alesha Rademan and Jessica Burchard have done for this project.

[Left to Right] AmeriCorps*VISTA Rich Field and OASHF Regional Coordinator Meredith Hill set up the project for the PowerPoint Project at The Ohio Benefit Bank event in Darke County on ______. Submitted by Rich Field.

Rich, ever the gentleman and marketing superstar, went beyond just preparing for the event. He also made a point of greeting guests when they entered the banquet room as well as after they took their seats.





AmeriCorps*VISTA Rich Field explains the importance of everyone filling out the half-slip of information known as the Guest Information Slip to keep track of interest in OBB expansion. Submitted by Rich Field.

Meanwhile, AmeriCorps*VISTA Jessica Burchard spent countless hours preparing invitations and "thank you" letters to people across southeast Ohio from her desk at the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks' main office in Columbus.



AmeriCorps*VISTA Jessica Burchard sent out hundreds of invitations for her 13th and final OBB/HealthPath event. It was in Millersburg, the seat of Holmes County, on Sept. 8. She mailed one-page invitations to the entire Chamber of Commerce list supplied by the partnering agency, The Love Center. Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard.

The size of the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce list made sending out the invitations a two-day job. When totaled, Jessica sent out more than 400 invitations to businesses, schools, individuals and media outlets.

Besides sending out documents for the events, Jessica also organized photos and documentation coming from other VISTAs.

This photo taken of AmeriCorps*VISTA Jessica Burchard's desk shows several photos that AmeriCorps*VISTA Rich Field mailed to her to be put on the blog and used for future reports on the OBB events. As you can see, they offer quite the display of Rich's event planning and marketing skills. Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard.





AmeriCorps*VISTA Sara Mraz Reflects on Hardin County's OBB Event

VISTA Spots OBB Partnerships at Expansion Events

By Jessica J. Burchard


AmeriCorps*VISTA Sara Mraz has seen partnerships for The Ohio Benefit Bank begin right before her eyes.


Mraz, who coordinates OBB events in the West Ohio Food Bank region, finds herself closely observing the interactions among different agencies and the tentative agreements they reach.

“By doing these events it really does put together the organizations in that community in one area,” Mraz said during a telephone interview. “It really is hard to get all the power players in one area to hear one message. Also, we are bringing awareness to the whole idea of people in need, whether it’s visually or telling stories of people in need.”

Guests at the Hardin County OBB Event get acquainted as they prepare for the presentation to begin. Many of them are county officials such as JFS, city council and executive directors of nonprofits. Submitted by Sara Mraz.

Recently, Mraz saw two groups join together in an effort to expand the OBB.

Representatives from the Forest-Jackson Library and the Forest United Methodist Church began discussing partnering at the Hardin County OBB Luncheon event on July 21 in Ada to create a new site for The Ohio Benefit Bank.

Mraz recalls how enthusiastically the librarian expressed her interest in using The Ohio Benefit Bank computer software to assist people in need that would come to the library for help. Many times, she would send them to the United Methodist Church as a place to start. By partnering together, they could potentially help more people in their local community.

Neither the church nor the library has registered at this time for the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks’ free hour-long Pre-Training Orientation program. The computerized program, which can be done from any computer with Internet access, is the prerequisite for the free six-hour training for individuals to become certified OBB counselors.

As Mraz continues to plan and attend OBB awareness events, she keeps her goal in focus:

“To me, having this tool and making people aware is crucial. Each county is different and depending on the knowledge and awareness that each organization has of their community’s resources can really help to connect people in need to ways that they can survive. The OBB is just one way that we can start to help our fellow Ohioans,” she said.

Surpassed 1,200 Views!

Thanks for taking time to stop by The Ohio Benefit Bank/HealthPath project blog!

Please feel free to leave feedback. I would very much like to know what you think of our efforts to expand knowledge about the OBB throughout 36 counties across Ohio with the generous support of the HealthPath Foundation of Ohio.

Again, I sincerely thank you for your time and attention!!

Politicians and Public Servants Attend The Ohio Benefit Bank Expansion Events!

Although politicians and public servants at all level of government are very busy people, some made time in their hectic schedules to attend the Capacity Building events for The Ohio Benefit Bank.

Please see the following photos for more information about who came to what event.

State Rep. Dave Hall looks at some of the Do You Know Someone Who. . . campaign materials after The Ohio Benefit Bank event Sept. 8 at The Love Center in Holmes County. He was legally prohibited from taking of the items from the table. Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard



OASHF Regional Coordinator Greer Connor speaks with State Rep. Dave Hall, R-97th district, after the OBB presentation Sept. 8 at The Love Center in Holmes County. Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard

Republican State Rep. Dave Hall of the 97th district is a longtime supporter of The Love Center and its community activities, including its food pantry of choice and babycare item distribution. Although he attended the event, Hall declined to take any materials with him because of legal issues.  





[Left to Right] Marty Chumny and Amanda Workman from the Tuscarawas Metropolitan Housing Authority meet Theresa Wukusick, executive director of the HealthPath Foundation of Ohio, at the OBB event June 15 in New Philadelphia.

At the end of The Ohio Benefit Bank presentation, Amanda Workman filled out the guest information slip and indicated that the Tuscarawas Metropolitan Housing Authority was interested in becoming an OBB site. 




[Left to Right] Columbiana Chamber of Commerce President Larry Deidrick, The Way Station Director James Couchenower, Columbiana JFS Director Eileen Dray-Bardon listen to OASHF Regional Coordinator Jessica May discuss The Ohio Benefit Bank July 22 at The Way Station's Columbiana office. Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard




Charles Barber, communications manager for the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, speaks with Mayor Glenn Holmes of McDonald Village after the OBB event Aug. 5 at the Hippodrome Banquet Center in Warren. The two men were discussing the possibility of OBB councilors scheduling trainings for senior citizens in the mayor's community. Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard



Trillium Family Solutions, Inc.: Profiles in Community

This posting marks the third to highlight the accomplishments of The Ohio Benefit Bank sites where Capacity Building events sponsored by the partnership between the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks and the HealthPath Foundation of Ohio took place.



Each of these wonderful organizations goes above and beyond to provide those in need with access to basic services such as food, clothing, sometimes shelter and always compassion and understanding.


As such, I just wanted to summarize all the diligent and much-needed work these groups do. Please read the bullet pointed summary below and add your two-cents!

On July 20, Trillium Family Solutions, Inc. hosted a Capacity Building event for The Ohio Benefit Bank at its Canton office.

The event was very well attended with nearly 30 guests from various governmental and nonprofit agencies.

Greer Connor, North Coast Regional Coordinator for the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, addresses the group of nearly 30 people at Trillium Family Solutions, Inc. in Canton on July 20. Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard


Besides its participation in the OBB/HealthPath project, Trillium has been active with The Ohio Benefit Bank for years and earned OBB Site of the Year for 2010 at the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks’ annual conference on Sept. 1.

Job well done, Trillium! Keep up the great work!!!

• Organization: Trillium Family Solutions, Inc. has three locations. The offices are at the following locations: Main office at 624 Market Ave N., Canton, OH 44702; Massillon office at 934 Amherst Rd. Ne., Massillon, OH 44646; Alliance office at 1410 W. State St. Suite M., Alliance, OH 44601


• Services: Existing OBB site with full-time staff and volunteers certified as counselors; low-income family financial assistance through the Ways to Work program; range of low-cost family and individual counseling; five types of eldercare services ; psychiatric and pharmacological management services; deaf community services; and HIV / AIDS case management and prevention


• Clients Helped: In 2009, Trillium processed 508 applications for 305 households - Ohio Food Stamps & Medical Assistance for annual allotments of $186,720 with Tax credits & rebates totaling $236,021. So far in 2010, Trillium has completed 590 Applications for 348 households with the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program annual allotments have reached $212,964, and Tax credits & rebates are at $318,894.

** Side Note: Since Trillium began participating in the OBB program in 2007, its certified OBB councilors have completed 1,222 and gave back total supports into households totaling $1,084,241.


• Community Partnerships: Trillium has seven Family Involvement Coordinators located in East Canton, Louisville, Massillon, Alliance and Sandy Valley schools. The family involvement staff are trained Ohio Benefit Bank Counselors. The FIC are in a school based environment to provide social services, advocacy and linkage that supports the students and student families overcome barriers to learning. We work closely with local colleges to recruit volunteers for the Ohio Benefit Bank services; We attend many community services on a monthly basis promoting financial security and services: Salvation Army, Turn around community, Domestic Violence, Indian River Correctional Facility and the YWCA to name a few.”


• HealthPath Grant Usage: This grant will be used to support mileage; marketing and Broadband technology that will maintain and sustain the existing OBB program Trillium has in place at all its locations.

Robin Seemann, economic development program director of Trillium Family Solutions, Inc., and Theresa Wukusick, executive director of the HealthPath Foundation of Ohio, pose holding a novelty check representing the $2,500 grant that Trillium received July 20 to expand its OBB program.

Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard

 
• Staff: According to Trillium’s Web site, www.trilliumfs.org, the organization has 130 staff members. Thirty-nine members of Trillium staff are trained Ohio Benefit bank Counselors. All Intake staff is being trained to screen clients through the Quick Check Program.

Source: Robin L Seemann, Economic Development Program Director for Trillium Family Solutions, Inc









Our Friends in the Media: Article in Delphos Herald

AmeriCorps*VISTA Sara Mraz coordinated a great media campaign for her Capacity Building event for The Ohio Benefit Bank in Delphos on Tuesday, Sept. 14. She had representatives from the local newspaper, The Delphos Herald, as well as the local TV station attend.

Below is a copy of the newspaper article that appeared in the Wednesday, Sept. 15 edition of The Delphos Herald.

Congratulations, Sara! You're doing an excellent job of getting the word out about the OBB and all the benefits it offers.

AmeriCorps*VISTA Sara Mraz stands behind a laptop directing The Ohio Benefit Bank PowerPoint presentation at a Capacity Building event this summer. Sara plays an active role at all her events, including greeting guests and moving along the presentation. Submitted by Sara Mraz.

Now, here's the article:

Assistance Program Promoted in Delphos

Written by Mike Ford


Wednesday, September 15, 2010 1:39 PM


mford@delphosherald.com

The Interfaith Thrift Shop is the one place in town where those in need can apply for government assistance through one application. The Ohio Benefits Bank streamlines the process of seeking food stamps, energy assistance, prescription assistance and more.

Gayle Loyola of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Food Banks delivered a talk Tuesday at the Eagles. She indicated the OBB is a public and private partnership involving the governor’s office, Second Harvest and several faith- and community-based groups. She also said $1.7 billion in federal tax credits and work-support program funds go unclaimed each year in Ohio because allocation depends on residential requests.

The luncheon was attended by church members, the mayor and city council president, as well as the Thrift Shop Social Services Coordinator Becky Strayer. She has been trained as an Ohio Benefits Bank counselor and said the program enables the thrift shop to point people in the right direction when limited resources prohibit solving immediate problems with cold hard cash.

“We want to be in a position to help people when we don’t have resources ourselves. I don’t want to have to look at someone and say ‘sorry, I don’t know; I can’t help you’,” she said. “I want people to have a backup plan; I want to point them to someone who can help them. So, we became an Ohio Benefits Bank site and will be able to help more people. When someone comes to us for help with rent, utilities or food and they are unemployed, we can go to the OBB Web site and run a quick check to see what programs they may qualify for.”

She says there is a wide array of things people don’t know help is available for.

“We can help people sign their school-age children up for free lunches through the benefits bank. We have free tax-filing service for those who qualify; we can help people with prescriptions to a point and then we can help them find help through other avenues. Also, there is an employment program called Experience Works. If you’re 55 and older and meet the financial requirements, you can get work. For example, say the Thrift Shop needed a worker. We could apply though Experience Works and they would send us someone, then they pay them. So, everyone wins because we get an employee and that person finds a job. This is just one of the programs offered through the benefits bank.”

Strayer said clients often come to her needing help with something like rent or their electricity. Paying the bill for them may not be possible but that doesn’t mean the thrift shop can’t help.

“The first thing we look at is ‘are you employed? Have you applied for unemployment? Have you applied for food stamps?’ Sometimes, you can free up money for rent and utilities by getting food stamps. A lot of people may qualify but don’t know it,” she said.

Holmes County OBB Event: Regional Coordinator Greer Connor's First Radio Interview

With every Capacity Building event for The Ohio Benefit Bank, someone has a new experience.
The Holmes County OBB/HealPath event Wednesday proved to be the case for Greer Connor. Connor, North Coast Regional Coordinator for the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, had never done a radio interview.

That changed when WKLM Radio Reporter Michele Simmons spoke with her after The Ohio Benefit Bank presentation at The Love Center in Millersburg. Simmons asked Connor about the importance of the OBB and how accessible it is for your average person.

 

WKLM Radio reporter Michele Simmons holds out a digital tape recorder to get information from Greer Connor, North Coast Regional Coordinator for the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks. Simmson interviewed Connor about The Ohio Benefit Bank. Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard

(Left to Right) Greer Connor, North Coast Regional Coordinator for the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, stands next to a table of OBB materials being interviewed by WKLM Radio reporter Michele Simmons Wednesday at the OBB/HealthPath event in Holmes County. Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard.

Simmons is scheduled to e-mail the aired version of her interview with Connor to us for posting at a later date.

Please keep on the look out for the interview. And also, remember to congratulate Greer for her fantastic work in expanding information about The Ohio Benefit Bank through the media.

Alliance Community Outreach Program (ACOP): Profiles in Community

This posting marks the second of many to highlight the accomplishments of The Ohio Benefit Bank sites where Capacity Building events sponsored by the partnership between the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks and the HealthPath Foundation of Ohio took place.



Each of these wonderful organizations goes above and beyond to provide those in need with access to basic services such as food, clothing, sometimes shelter and always compassion and understanding.
As such, I just wanted to summarize all the diligent and much-needed work these groups do. Please read the bullet pointed summary below and add your two-cents!

The Alliance Community Outreach Program in Warren, Ohio had its OBB/HealthPath event at the Hippodrome Banquet Center on August 5.

Nearly 15 guests attended the event, including representatives from the Trumbull County Job and Family Services, the United Way and a local mayor.

Representatives from ACOP and the Trumbull County Department of Job and Family Services talk about The Ohio Benefit Bank after the presentation Aug. 5 at the Hippodrome Banquet Center in Warren. Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard.

A table of guests sit at a table in the Hippodrome Banquet Center on Aug. 5 in Warren. Those pictured include Charlene Allen, executive director of ACOP, a representative from the local United Way and two staffers from the Trumbull County Department of Job and Family Services. Photo Credit: Jessica J. Burchard.

• Organization: Alliance Community Outreach Program (ACOP) is located at 2051 Niles Road Southeast, Warren, OH 44484.

• Services: ACOP is an existing OBB site with full-time staffers and volunteers certified as counselors that assist individuals and families with a range of needs. For example, ACOP offers programs targeting youth such as tutoring and after-school programs, adult programs such as computer classes and health workshops, family benefits such as limited food and clothing distributions and senior citizen programs such as age-specific health programs.

• Clients Helped: In 2009, ACOP completed 52 OBB applications. That number is expected to triple in 2010.

• Community Partnerships: ACOP collaborates with 15 organizations in addition to OBB. Among them are Employing and Strengthening Ohio’s People (ESOP), Warren City Schools, Trumbull County NAACP, Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative, and the Trumbull County Health Department.

• HealthPath Grant Usage: The $2,500 grant from HealthPath will go toward expanding ACOP’s community outreach of the OBB through allowing more traveling, more mailings and more professional development opportunities.

• Staffing: ACOP has one full-time staffer, nearly 30 volunteers and several part-time workers from Senior Employment Services.

Source: Charlene Allen, Executive Director of ACOP.