FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 9, 2012
Full-time position(s) available at Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc.
COLUMBUS – The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks will place 165 AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates at community organizations across the state this summer to help fight childhood hunger by boosting participation in programs that provide free meals to children in low-income areas.
The Summer Associate positions are funded through a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America). Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc. has been awarded 2 slots for full-time members, and is seeking individuals passionate about ending childhood hunger for these positions.
Each Summer Associate serves at a local organization like HCCAO Summer Feeding that provides free meals to kids through the Summer Food Service Program or other feeding programs. The Summer Associate’s will work to increase participation and serve more meals, while planning various activities for the children to complete
Children who aren’t hungry learn better, behave better, and feel better, yet many children in Ohio are not getting the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow throughout the summer months when they are out of school. A record high number of Ohio children—nearly 841,000 or about 45%– are now eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches based on their family’s income, but less than one in five of those children received meals through the Summer Food Service Program last year.
Summer Associates must be 18 years or older and able to commit to eight weeks of full-time service from June 4 through July 29. Summer Associates are paid a modest living stipend and receive an end-of-service award (either a cash bonus or money for school) upon completing the eight-week term. The program is an opportunity for individuals of all backgrounds to gain valuable work experience and make a difference in their community. Interested individuals should fill out an application online. More information on the applications process is available at www.oashf.org.
About the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks
OASHF is Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger, representing Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks and 3,300 member charities including food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. In SFY 2011, OASHF and its member foodbanks were able to acquire and distribute over 150 million pounds of food and grocery items. Follow @OASHF on Twitter, stay connected on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OASHF, and visit OASHF on the web at www.oashf.org.
About Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc.
HCCAO, Inc. is a private non profit corporation providing services to the resident of Highland County since 1965. These include a wide array of services including health care, housing, early childhood education, senior nutrition and emergency services.
About the Summer Food Service Program
The Summer Food Service Program is a program of the United States Department of Agriculture and is administered in Ohio by the Ohio Department of Education. The program is designed to fill the nutritional gap that children who receive free- and reduced-priced meals during the school year may face during the summer months, ensuring children get the nutritious meals they need. To locate a Summer Food Service Program site within your community call 1-800-648-1176 or visit www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/summer/
About the AmeriCorps VISTA Program
AmeriCorps VISTA is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service. The program is designed to fight poverty in America through full-time national service. OASHF has partnered with the Corporation for National and Community Service since its first AmeriCorps VISTA project in 2006. Since then, more than 500 AmeriCorps members have served hunger- and poverty-relief initiatives through OASHF. To learn more about the AmeriCorps VISTA program and other national service programs, visit www.nationalservice.gov
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Contact: Dustin Speakman, Director of Community Services for the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks at 614-221-4336 ext. 243 or 614-493-7502 (cell)
OR
Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, Executive Director for the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks at 614-221-4336 ext. 222 or 614-271-4803 (cell)
Project HELP (Homeowner Education and Loss Prevention) provides one on one counseling for homeowners at risk of foreclosure or in foreclosure. You do not have to be delinquent or in foreclosure to qualify for assistance. Trained counselors assist in evaluating and counseling on the financial position of the household, discuss possible options with the lender/servicer and homeowner, prepare a complete loss mitigation package, and evaluate homeowners for assistance from various programs.
Highland County Community Action Organization is an approved counseling agency with the Ohio Housing Finance Agency’s Restoring Stability: A Save the Dream Ohio Initiative.
You will need to visit the Save the Dream Ohio website to begin the free, confidential application process to participate in the Restoring Stability Program. You may also apply by calling the Save the Dream Ohio hotline at (888) 404-4674 or Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc. directly at 937-393-3458. After creating your online profile and starting your application or calling the free hotline, you can select Highland County Community Action as your housing counseling agency who can help determine your eligibility for the programs and recommend the best solution for you or you will be matched with another HUD-approved housing counseling agency.
Tell us what you think! Many community organizations are conducting a survey in your county, and your input is needed. The survey will help inform community leaders about ways to better meet the needs of the residents in the county. Please take a few moments to be part of this process.
Please visit the online survey at http://go.osu.edu/countyfirst to share your thoughts and experiences. The survey should take about 25 minutes to complete, and is voluntary. No identifying information will be collected, and you will not be contacted about the survey or your responses. You may quit the survey at any time, without penalty. The survey is completely anonymous.
Come Enjoy Lunch 11:30 – 12:30
The Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc. announces the sponsorship of the Summer Food Service Program for Children. Free meals will be made available to all children 18 years of age and under or persons over 18 who are determined by a state or local public educational agency to be mentally or physically disabled. The meals will be provided without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any USDA -related activity should write or call immediately to the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave S.W., Washington DC 20250-9410; or call toll free (866) 632-9992 (voice). Individuals who are hearing impaired or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Meals will be provided at the site(s) listed below beginning on June 13th through August 12th between the hours of 11 :30 and 12:30.
Open Enrollment Sites (All children are welcome to attend.)
- Cedarwoods Apartments, 312 Cedarwoods Drive, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133
- First United Methodist Church, 133 E. Walnut Street, 133 E. Walnut Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133 (This site is in cooperation with the Daily Bread).
- Greenfield Elementary School, 200 N. 5th Street, Greenfield , Ohio 45123
Restricted Open Site (For children attending the YMCA Summer Camp)
- Highland County Family YMCA, 201 Diamond Circle, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133 For additional information, please contact the Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc. at 937-393-3458
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer
5K Walk for Hunger
May 30, 2011
9:00AM @ Southern State Community College
Sponsored by: Samaritan Outreach Services, Hillsboro First UMC, Our Daily Bread, Highland County Homeless Shelter and Highland County Community Action
All proceeds benefit Highland County Emergency Food Programs
One Walker = $20 = 100 pounds of food = 78 meals = $0.25 per meal. One person can make a difference!
Click here to register, pledge or donate!
Last Year HCCAO provided meals to 3366 unduplicated people through the emergency food pantry. Many of these people required multiple visits to the food pantry to meet their nutritional needs. HCCAO purchased more than 93,000 pounds of food from the freestore food bank and provided meals to hungry families at $0.14 per meal. As the needs rise, costs rise, and resources decrease, it will become more difficult to meet these needs for families. Please help HCCAO to help families right here in our community. Register now to participate in the 2011 5K Hunger Walk, make a pledge for an existing walker, or just donate.
The 2012-2013 Emergency HEAP Winter Crisis Program begins Monday, November 1, 2012. The program will assist households that have a total gross income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. The Winter Crisis Program can provide up to $175.00 of assistance with regulated electric or natural gas, $250.00 of assistance with non regulated electric or natural gas, $350.00 of assistance with wood, coal, or pellets, and $600.00 for propane or fuel oil. In addition eligible households with a regulated utility are signed up on the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) where it would benefit the household to do so.
Applicants for the Winter Crisis Program must bring income documentation for all adults in the household for the immediate 13 weeks prior to their appointment for assistance. Applicants must bring in their most recent electric bill, social security numbers for all members of the household, name address and telephone number of their landlord if applicable, and proof of citizenship for the primary applicant, for a list of acceptable proof contact HCCAO at 937-393-3458.
Clients applying for assistance with regulated or non regulated electric or natural gas you must have a disconnect notice or applying for new or transfer of service.
To set up your appointment for assistance call Highland County Community Action Org. 937-393-3458. Walk-in are accepted Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
PIPP
PIPP or Percentage of Income Payment Plan is available to any customer of a regulated utility with a household income 150% of the federal poverty guidelines or less. Under the PIPP plan households with all electric heat would pay a maximum of 15% of the total household income for their electric bill for the winter months. Customers who heat with natural gas would pay 10% of the gross household income year round for their natural gas usage and up to 5% of the gross household income during the winter heating season for regulated electric.
For more information on PIPP plus click http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/index.cfm/consumer-information/consumer-topics/percentage-of-income-payment-plan-plus-pipp-plus/
| PersonsIn Family | Maximum incomefor 13 weeks | Maximum incomefor 12 months |
| 1 | $5585.00 | 22340 |
| 2 | $7565.00 | 30260 |
| 3 | $9545.00 | 38180 |
| 4 | $11525.00 | 46100 |
| 5 | $13505.00 | 54020 |
| 6 | $15485.00 | 61940 |
| 7 | $17465.00 | 69860 |
| 8 | $19445.00 | 7780 |
For addtional household members contact HCCAO for income guidelines.
The Summer Crisis Program generally runs from July 1 thru August 31. The program is able to provide a one- time payment for electric assistance up to a maximum as determined by the program annually for qualified households. The program was able to provide up to $175.00 in electric assistance for qualified households. To qualify households had to:
- Be at or below the 175% of the federal poverty guidelines
- Have a household member who has an illness that would benefit from assisatance verified by physician documentation, or with a member who is age sixty or older.
Documentaton needed for assistance includes:
- Income documentation for the past 13 weeks for the date of your appointment.
- Most recent electric bill.
- Documentation of a household member age 60 or older or a physician documentaion.
- Name, address, and telephone number of your landlord if applicable
- Proof of citizenship for the primary applicant, for a list of acceptable proof contact HCCAO at 937-393-3458
For more information please call the Emergency Services Department at Highland County Community Action at 937-393-3458
Summer Crisis Program
Attention DP&L customers. A new program has been introduced. One time assistance with your current DP&L Bill. No disconnect needed. DP&L has made available a limited amount of money to be used to assist its customers with the often burdensome cost of electric. Households will qualifiy upon application who are at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty guidelines.
|
Persons In Family |
Maximum income for 13 weeks |
Maximum income for 12 months |
| 1 | $5585.00 | 22340 |
| 2 | $7565.00 | 30260 |
| 3 | $9545.00 | 38180 |
| 4 | $11525.00 | 46100 |
| 5 | $13505.00 | 54020 |
| 6 | $15485.00 | 61940 |
| 7 | $17465.00 | 69860 |
| 8 | $19445.00 | 7780 |
For addtional household members contact HCCAO for income guidelines.
Documentation needed: Current Electric Bill, Social Security Numbers of all hosuehold members, birth certificates of all household members, last 13 weeks of income information, name, address, and phone number of your landord if applicable. Contact HCCAO at 937-393-3458 to make your appointment or for more information.
Monthly workshop offered to provide resources, tools, and support to individuals and families seeking to gain financial control of their lives. Information is delivered in three separate two hour sessions focusing on distinct topics. Click here for more.