Athens County Job & Family Services

Community Letter: Help us plan our Athens Area Stand Down Event

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 20:48:00 +0000

Dear community member,

As a community, we can accomplish far more by working together than we can by working alone. This is especially true for complex issues, like homelessness.

In an effort to support those in our area who are homeless and at risk of homelessness, several community members have come together to organize the area’s very first Stand Down event.

What is a Stand Down?
The word “Stand Down” is a military term and refers to the time when combat units recover from their time on the battlefield. In the civilian world, Stand Down refers to a community-based program designed to help the homeless and those at risk of homelessness connect to the resources they need to address their problems and rebuild their lives. The services at a typical Stand Down can vary from getting a free haircut and getting free clothing and food to receiving legal services, a medical screening and referrals for housing services. Some services, like some medical support and supplies, are available to veterans only.

What we’re able to provide at our Stand Down will depend greatly on the participation of community members like you. Please consider this letter as a formal invitation to participate in this event. We welcome all levels of participation. Your support can come in whatever form you or your organization is most comfortable with – that may mean joining our planning committee, offering a donation, manning a table on the day of the event, volunteering, and anything in between.

Our free and public event will be on Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Athens County Fairgrounds.

What are our goals?Our primary goal is to connect our most vulnerable citizens with the resources they need. By doing so, we will give them hope and encouragement so that they can rebuild their lives. We will also use this event as a way to educate the public about the issue of homelessness, among veterans and non-veterans, in our area.

Who will we serve?
We will target those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Specialized services will be available for veterans only.

What do we need?
We are hopeful to receive donations of time and services. Here is a list of some of the things we’d like to provide. We are planning to serve 300 individuals on this day. You may have other ideas of what to provide, and we welcome your feedback.

Giveaways
•    Hygiene items
•    Diapers
•    Non-perishable food
•    Clothing
•    Coats/hats/gloves
•    Shoes/boots
•    Paper Products
•    Sleeping bags    •    Chap stick
•    Sun screen
•    Pocket calendars
•    Wet wipes
•    First Aid items
•    Backpacks
•    Feminine hygiene products

Services
•    Physical health services
•    Mental health services
•    Legal services
•    Housing assistance
•    Dental health services
•    Job coaching services
•    Addiction recovery services
•    Haircuts

Other items
•    Tables
•    Chairs
•    Kid activities
•    Entertainment (music to play in the background on the day of the event)
•    Printing services
•    Lunch for participants and volunteers*
•    Promotional services
    *To account for both participants and volunteers, we will plan to feed lunch to 400 people.

When do we need to hear from you?
The sooner we hear from you, the sooner we can make plans. October 2016 may sound like it’s far into the future, but we will need all of that time to ensure we create a quality event.

Who is doing this? We have formed a committee specifically to plan our Stand Down. Our committee meets on a monthly basis. Our planning committee members represent the following organizations:
•    Chillicothe VA Medical Center
•    Athens VA Clinic
•    Celebrate Recovery/Athens Community Church
•    Athens County Job & Family Services
•    Athens County Common Pleas Court
•    ROTC
•    Tri County Adult Career Center    •    Ohio University Veterans Center
•    Hopewell Health Centers
•    ODJFS Veterans Services
•    Athens County 211
•    OhioHealth O’Bleness Memorial Hospital
•    VFW Post 7174
•    Athens County Fair Board
•    Adam Baker, Attorney & and Counsellor at Law, LLC

Who do we contact for more information?
If you’d like to help us, or if you have any questions, please contact:
Arian Smedley, Athens Area Stand Down Planning Committee Member
AthensAreaStandDown@gmail.com

Athens County Reentry Task Force says Ohio's automatic license suspension law is ineffective

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 21:50:00 +0000

It also causes more harm than good

It is time for Ohio to join the majority of the nation and end a 25-year-old tradition of temporarily suspending a driver’s license for drug offenses that don’t involve a vehicle. Time has shown the practice doesn’t work. Even worse, it causes far more harm than good.

Thirty-four states have already abandoned this policy, which was first implemented at the federal level in the 1990s. Ohio’s Senate Bill 204 and House Bill 307 would allow our state to follow suit.

Both the SB and HB would provide judges with the discretion to impose license suspensions if, and only if, it’s a suitable punishment. In other words, it does not prohibit the suspension of a license. The six-month mandatory suspension simply would be eliminated. Members of the Athens County Reentry Task Force think this bill is a step in the right direction and hope to see it through to passage.

There is no doubt that unsafe drivers should be prohibited from driving until they are willing to abide by traffic safety laws. Suspending a license, in those instances, could be an appropriate punishment. But research has found that imposing a license suspension as a penalty for non-driving-related offenses “is ineffective,” as stated by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. The policy simply has not deterred the undesired behavior.

Lack of reliable transportation is the No. 1 barrier to employment. This is especially true for those in rural areas where public transportation is limited. Here in Athens County, for example, we have a robust public transit system, but it still does not reach all corners of the county. This means driving is an essential part of modern survival. Without driving privileges, many lose their jobs and struggle to find new ones. Every aspect of their lives is ultimately affected.

A study of a similar program in New Jersey found that 42% of drivers whose license were suspended lost their jobs, according to American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. Of those, 45% did not find new employment. Of those that did find another job, 88% reported a decrease in income.

For the sake of their livelihood, many drive illegally, which leaves them vulnerable to other penalties. What we currently have in place is not good public policy. We have set these people up for failure. It’s easy to see how and why a family may fall into poverty and ultimately re-offend.

Let’s move on from this ineffective approach. Instead, let us embrace a policy that protects an individual’s ability to remain self-sufficient.

Athens County Reentry Task Force

____________________________________________________________________

About the Athens County Reentry Task Force

Formed in 2009, the Athens County Reentry Task Force is made up of community partners who work together to help ex-offenders transition back into society and become independent. The Task Force recognizes the need for a coordinated approach geared toward building and supporting a range of collaborative community programs to address the barriers to self-sufficiency in an effort to reduce crime, recidivism and improve public safety.

Coat drive hopes to Warm Up Athens County

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 13:52:00 +0000

Winter is just around the corner, which means it’s time to break out the winter coats. That is, assuming you’re fortunate enough to have one.

Too many people in our community, young and old, do not have the resources to buy a winter coat. For this reason, Athens County Job and Family Services is partnering with Athens County Children Services and together are asking for help from community members for the first-ever Warm Up Athens County coat drive.

“It’s not uncommon for adults to come into our office in the dead of winter with no coat on,” said Arian Smedley, Community Relations Coordinator with Athens County JFS. “Children will come in wrapped in a blanket. It’s a sad state of affairs that our system does not provide enough to cover a person’s every day needs. But that is the reality. We know the need goes beyond coats and our clientele. Community members can play a key part in helping to provide some relief.”

When pulling out your winter gear, you may find a coat that doesn’t fit anymore or one that you no longer plan to wear. Both agencies ask that you consider donating that coat to this program. Bring it to one of our five drop-off locations and place it in one of the white bins.

“We are so excited to be partnering with JFS on this important project,” said Robin Webb, Public Relations Coordinator for Athens County Children Services. “Our staff sees this need on a daily basis during the colder months and we are very grateful for the businesses that have generously agreed to host a donation box. Currently, Kroger in Athens, The Market on State, and the Community Bank locations in Amesville, Nelsonville, and Glouster all have donations boxes set up. We hope that once word spreads about this project, more businesses will offer to host a donation box in their location,” Webb added.

New and gently used coats will be collected through the end of September. All sizes are needed. Monetary donations can be made to Athens County Children Services and mailed to the address below. All coats will be professionally dry cleaned, thanks to the services donated by Ambassador Laundries.

Drop off new or gently used coats at any of the following locations:

Kroger
919 E State St, Athens
6 am – 1 am

Nelsonville Community Bank
873 Chestnut St, Nelsonville
8:30 am – 5 pm

Amesville Community Bank
25 State St, Amesville
8:30 am – 5 pm

Glouster Community Bank
42 Toledo St, Glouster
8:30 am – 4:30 pm

The Market on State
1002 E State St, Athens
10 am – 9 pm

The Ohio University Credit Union
90 S. Shafer Street, Athens
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 8 am – 4:30 pm
Wednesday: 9 am – 4:30 pm
Friday: 8 am – 5 pm

The Ohio University Credit Union
944 E. State St., Athens
9 am – 5:30 pm

McDonald's
399 Richland Ave, Athens

McDonald's
922 E State St, Athens

McDonald's
80 N Plains Rd, The Plains

McDonald's
21 Watkins St, Nelsonville

Monetary Donations:
Athens County Children Services
P.O. Box 1046
Athens, Ohio 45701
Please add “COATS” in the memo line.

Athens County Reentry Task Force supports state's fair-hiring policy, but we can still do more

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 18:32:00 +0000

For ex-offenders, getting a job can be the difference between successful reintegration into society and going back to prison. But many in our county and in our state who have criminal records struggle with significant barriers to employment.

That’s why the Athens County Reentry Task Force applauds the state’s decision to remove the question on some public sector job applications that asks candidates about their criminal history. (This doesn’t apply to all public sector jobs and doesn’t apply at all to the private sector.)

Job seekers with criminal records are more likely to be unemployed. This isn’t necessarily because they lack the skill, dedication or discipline to be a productive employee. Many times, their unemployed status is because of their rap sheet, even in instances when a crime was minor, happened a decade ago or had nothing to do with the job in question.

And with 1 in 6 Ohioans having a criminal record, that’s 1.9 million people who struggle to land a job. As a result, many of these individuals and their families fall into poverty. This is one of the reasons the Athens County Reentry Task Force, made up of a long list of community partners, was created. We work together to help ex-offenders overcome barriers (employment is one of many).

Ohio is the 17th state to implement this practice, known as “Banning the Box,” in reference to the checking of YES or NO when asked if ever convicted of a crime. This now gives job seekers with a record the opportunity to prove themselves to an employer through the interview. Studies have shown that personal contact with a potential employer will reduce the negative effect of a criminal record.

This doesn’t mean the employer is entirely in the dark. Candidates are still expected to mention the offense during the interview. Employers can still run a background check. The employer can decide not to hire a person based on their criminal history. And in some cases, the law already states certain crimes automatically disqualify someone for a particular type of job. But, for a position where that doesn’t apply, job seekers will no longer be automatically disqualified by simply checking a box.

The policy change only applies to public-sector, civil-service jobs. Because the potential for positive outcomes are so great, we hope this policy expands to more jobs in Ohio, including the private sector.

Why? It’s quite simple. Removing barriers to employment increases the likelihood that a qualified person will land a job. And working people help the economy. More people working in our communities translate into higher income and sales tax revenues. Employment reduces recidivism, meaning those individuals are less likely to re-engage in illegal activity. Employment helps stabilize families and rebuilds relationships.

It’s also the right thing to do. Individuals who have served their time and rehabilitated themselves deserve a second chance. We encourage Ohio’s employers, public and private, to implement fair hiring practices and “Ban the Box.”

Scott Zielinski, Co-chair
Athens County Reentry Task Force

____________________________________________________________________

About the Athens County Reentry Task Force
Formed in 2009, the Athens County Reentry Task Force is made up of community partners who work together to help ex-offenders transition back into society and become independent. The Task Force recognizes the need for a coordinated approach geared toward building and supporting a range of collaborative community programs to address the barriers to self-sufficiency in an effort to reduce crime, recidivism and improve public safety.

Expert on elder exploitation to speak at Elder Abuse Awareness Day

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 12:30:00 +0000

Monday, June 15, 10 a.m.
Athens Community Center, Room B

To commemorate Elder Abuse Awareness Day in Athens County, an expert on elder exploitation will be speaking at the Athens Community Center on Monday, June 15, 10 a.m., to educate the community on the signs of elder abuse and exploitation and what you can do to help.

Athens County Job and Family Services has partnered with United Seniors of Athens County and the Athens Community Center to invite David M. Kessler to speak during this event, which is free and open to the public.
Kessler previously worked with the Ohio Attorney General’s office and served as the Chief Investigator of the Consumer Protection Unit. Within this role, his primary focus became the protection of senior citizens. He now works for the Fairfield County Prosecutor’s Office and continues to share his expertise nationwide through his private consulting business, Protecting the Elderly: protectingtheelderly.com.

Adult Protective Services (APS), which is administered by Athens County JFS, is required to investigate and evaluate all reports of suspected abuse, neglect and exploitation of adults age 60 and older in Athens County. In 2014, APS, with frequent assistance from local law enforcement, investigated 129 new reports of elder abuse, neglect, self-neglect or exploitation.

“We know that this demographic will often times not report instances when they feel they’re being taken advantage of because they don’t see themselves as victims,” said Arian Smedley, Community Relations Coordinator with Athens County JFS. “This speaker will shed some light on the lengths some people go to convince and dupe unsuspecting seniors. We want seniors to know it’s not their fault, and we are ready to help.”

Anyone who suspects elder abuse, neglect or exploitation should call (740) 677-4208. All referrals are confidential. There is no cost for the investigation to the client or family.

Join us in recognizing this day on June 15 by wearing purple, the official color of Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

Coverage on the Senate version of the state budget

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 12:28:00 +0000

Dispatch: Ohio Senate unveils plan to cut taxes

Dispatch: Ohio Senate’s budget plan includes tuition freeze, changes to school funding

Ohio’s Medicaid enrollment worries both parties, but for different reasons

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 16:18:00 +0000

With Ohio’s Medicaid-expansion enrollment approaching half a million — a third higher than projected — House Democrats say a faulty process to renew benefits, plus premium charges proposed by Gov. John Kasich, would “jettison” many poor Ohioans from their newly obtained health coverage.

“We have more of an effort of mass Medicaid expulsion than mass Medicaid expansion,” Rep. Kevin Boyce, D-Columbus, told administration officials testifying about Kasich’s budget plan before the House Finance Committee yesterday.

Articles on Governor Kasich's proposed state budget

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 16:21:00 +0000

Kasich budget includes $2.5 billion sales-tax hike

People-centered system the goal of welfare reforms in John Kasich's budget

Governor's budget plan could affect local and state JFS services

John Kasich's new coordinated welfare approach to start with teens, young adults

Social services group offers mixed review of Kasich's ideas

Kasich plans tax cuts, more aid to poor in upcoming budget

1 million people facing cutoff of SNAP benefits next year

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 13:30:00 +0000

Roughly 1 million of the nation’s poorest people will be cut off SNAP (formerly food stamps) over the course of 2016 — even if they’re looking for a job but can’t find one —because a three-month time limit on benefits for unemployed childless adults who aren’t disabled will return in many geographic areas.

Read more from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Gallagher selected as new job and family services director

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 13:38:00 +0000

The Athens County Commissioners have selected Bob Gallagher to serve as the next executive director of the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services. He will begin his duties on Jan. 1.

Read more.

Ohio woman kicked off welfare for not reporting she was in a coma

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 14:02:00 +0000

Kimberly Thompson, 43, says she was lying in a hospital bed when she found out that she would no longer receive government assistance. The letter from the county shocked her: "They basically cut me off of benefits for not reporting I was in a coma," she says.

When Thompson woke up, she learned that her cash assistance through the Ohio Works First program as well as her food stamp benefits had been terminated—more than $700 per month in total. Administrators said the county imposed a sanction because she had failed to complete the mandatory work and training requirement for receipt of government assistance. Thompson called the Franklin County, Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services to tell them she was in the hospital. A worker there told her she had two days to verify her hospitalization. Frail and unable to move—she'd had seven toes amputated and says she lost some cognitive capacity—she was unable to get to the county office.

Advocates for the poor in Ohio say that situations like Thompson's are not uncommon as a several-year-old effort to impose strict work requirements on state welfare and food stamp recipients has led to thousands of families losing aid. Anti-poverty advocates note that even as the state is moving to bolster the medical safety net through Medicaid expansion, it has dramatically slashed its welfare rolls since 2011, shrinking the program from 90,000 cases to 60,000 in the last four years. Most of the remaining people relying on cash assistance are children who often live with grandparents.

"The way most counties meet the work requirement is to throw people off," said John Frech, the director of the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services. Frech has been critical of the state trends. His county is unusual in that its welfare program has maintained similar caseload levels since 2011 even as it has connected more of those on the program with jobs and training. "Ohio made this a success from the state's perspective by throwing families off of a program that they need. Rather than working to help poor families, we've left families in a terrible situation."

Read more from NBC News' In Plain Sight.

Ohio Senate Bill 382 will improve the lives of poor non-custodial parents

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 14:25:00 +0000

Provisions should be extended to children and caretakers
Ohio’s Senate Bill 382, introduced by Shannon Jones (R-Springboro) and Shirley Smith (D-Cleveland), would make positive changes for Ohioans living near the poverty level. It would, for the first time, guarantee a standard of living of at least the poverty level for non-custodial parents.

Jack Frech, Director of Athens County Job and Family Services, voiced his support for this Senate Bill in a letter sent to every Ohio senator last week, with the request that the same provision be extended to the children and their caretakers.

“We support this bill, because we feel strongly that no one should be forced to have an income that will not meet their basic human needs,” Frech said. “It is encouraging that with bi-partisan support this bill will help establish this precedent. Now, we need to immediately offer that same guarantee to the children and caretakers of these obligors.”

The bill would create a “self-support reserve” ensuring obligors, those who owe child support, would not have payments set so high that they would be unable to meet their own basic needs. The minimum reserve amount they would retain would be no less than the Federal Poverty Level.

Meanwhile, children and caretakers must live at 50 percent of the federal poverty level before they qualify for Ohio’s cash assistance program, formally known as Ohio Works First (OWF). Starting next year, the program will provide at most $282 per month for an individual or $473 for a family of three, a slight increase of less than 2 percent from this year.

Ohio’s benefit levels are just under half of the poverty level, even when combined with food stamps. Food stamps would provide at most $194 for an individual or $511 for a family of three.

As they stand now, benefit levels leave a family of three with zero income living on less than $9,895. This is the harsh reality for many families, as 20 percent of Ohio’s food stamp households have no other income.

It’s important to note that 72 percent of all OWF cases are “child only,” meaning that the children are not living with either biological parent. Also, 300,000 children statewide live in households with an income below 50 percent of poverty.

In short, the effect of S.B. 382 is that non-custodial parents who owe child support will be guaranteed an income much higher than their children unless a self-sufficiency guarantee is extended to their children and caretakers. This comes at a time when over 60,000 children have been cut off OWF in the last three years.

The issue is not that we should deprive any parent of sufficient resources to meet their basic needs, but that we should also not allow children to continue to struggle for survival without such a guarantee.

Frech’s letter to Ohio’s senators made the following suggestions:

Increase OWF benefits so the combination of cash and SNAP benefits reach the poverty level.
Raise the maximum income eligibility for OWF to the federal level of 100%, rather than 50% of the poverty level.
Disregard all outside income until the income level for the OWF recipient reaches 100% of the poverty level.
Raise the time limit on OWF to the maximum five-year federal limit, rather than three years. There is no time limit on the self-sufficiency reserve amount for the non-custodial parent.

There is precedent for allowing OWF recipients to keep their income up to the poverty level going back to 1965, when H.B. 247 passed. It was sponsored by then State Representative Stanley Aronoff. At that time, the Federal AFDC rules would not allow it to be utilized. Those restrictions have since been lifted, making this the ideal opportunity to revisit these ideas.

S.B. 382 is a step in the right direction. We hope our senators recognize it is only fair to the children and their caretakers to offer them the same protection.

***********************************************************

To learn more about issues related to poverty and public services, visit our website at jfs.athensoh.org or subscribe to this blog. Join the conversation by following AthensJFS on Facebook or Twitter.

Campaign shines spotlight on poor during holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 19:24:00 +0000

It's the most wonderful time of the year, for some, while others struggle mightily throughout the holiday season to meet basic needs and put food on the table.

So once again this year, anti-poverty advocates are highlighting the needs of those struggling with poverty in Athens County, southeast Ohio and across the state with the HardTimesOhio campaign.

Members of the faith community have joined housing and human-services advocates in showing the toll the "low-wage economy" is having on individuals and families across the state, according to a press release. The new effort can be found at www.hardtimesohio.com.

Involved in that effort is Athens County Job & Family Services.

Read more in The Athens NEWS.

Bus route expansion to include Chauncey, Rt. 13

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 19:16:00 +0000

An Athens city bus route expansion, made possible through a state grant and matching local dollars, will for the first time offer regular public transit in the village of Chauncey and along Route 13, further connecting riders to an already robust public transit system.

“We hope this new service proves valuable to the entire community, especially low-income residents who live in villages just outside the City of Athens,” said Michael Lachman, transportation services manager for Athens Public Transit, which is administered by Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action. “Many cannot afford to live in Athens due to the high cost of housing. This expansion offers a way for these workers to get to the jobs they need in an affordable way. It will offer a lifeline to many needy households in our corner of Appalachia.”

The Ohio Department of Transportation awarded the $34,806 grant to APT and HAPCAP through the Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) project, a competitive federal grant that’s intended to improve access to jobs and educational opportunities, particularly among low-income residents.

With matching dollars from Athens County Job and Family Services and the city of Athens, the funds will replace the existing Route 5 loop through Athens and The Plains with a pair of synchronized route loops that include the outlying village of Chauncey and parts of Route 13.

The extended route will also include stops in downtown Athens, West Union Street, The Plains and Columbus Road in Athens. The route is where nearly every significant employment and social service provider in the Athens area is located, including 128 businesses, several health care facilities and half a dozen residential communities.

In addition to the route expansion, the hours will be extended, allowing workers a realistic chance at a transit commute. Currently, the Route 5 hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The new hours will be 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

“Transportation is one of the biggest challenges for the poor in our county,” said Arian Smedley, community relations coordinator for Athens County Job and Family Services. “Eighty percent of families that receive cash assistance have no car or don’t have the resources to keep a legal car on the road. This expansion is providing a vital service to the entire county, but especially for those who are most in need. We applaud HAPCAP for taking the initiative and for the city of Athens for stepping up. And we’re of course happy to play a part in making it happen.”

“I’m glad we can work with the county and get something rolling together for transportation,” said Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl.

New routes and hours will be launched during the first quarter of 2015. Check the Athens Public Transit website at www.athenstransit.org or call 767-1079 for details and updates.

Cash benefits have fallen by more than 20 percent in most states and continue to erode

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 14:59:00 +0000

Cash assistance benefits for the nation’s poorest families with children fell again in purchasing power in 2014 and are now at least 20 percent below their 1996 levels in 38 states, after adjusting for inflation. ...

For 99 percent of TANF recipients nationally, the purchasing power of their benefits is below 1996 levels, after adjusting for inflation.

As the country moves past the economic downturn and public coffers regain strength, states should halt the erosion of TANF benefits and begin restoring the purchasing power lost over the past 18 years.

Read more from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

More Ohioans turning to food pantries, study shows

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 13:02:00 +0000

More than 1 in 6 Ohioans — more than 2 million people — don’t have enough to eat and turn to pantries for food each year, according to a new report, “Hunger in Ohio 2014.” The study, released yesterday by the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, showed a 40 percent jump in the number of people seeking help from four years ago.

“Ask the general public; they think the biggest crisis in America right now is Ebola," said Matt Habash, president and chief executive officer of the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. "We think Ebola is a crisis in America. Now if we had 2 million Ohioans having Ebola can you imagine the response to that? And yet, we don’t think about hunger and poverty as a crisis. We think about it as a way of life."

Read more in the Columbus Dispatch.

Poverty in Athens Co.: What can/should be done?

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 20:32:00 +0000

In this second of a two-part series in The Athens Messenger, Director Jack Frech helps explain the challenges the county continues to face in its battle against poverty.

Poverty in Athens County: OU students greatly impact percentage

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 12:19:00 +0000

A recent study that showed Athens County having the highest percentage of low-to-moderate income residents in the entire state is deeply affected by the city of Athens being the home of Ohio University. Data shows that off-campus students indeed skew the numbers, showing a major increase in poverty levels throughout the area.

This article in The Athens Messenger is the first of a two-part series to further examine the data and its impact on Athens County.

Request for Proposals - Child Care Training

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 12:24:00 +0000

The agency is requesting bids for all costs related to the provision of child care training. Bids must be received by Sept. 5. Read the details on our agency's website.

Food stamp discrimination alleged in civil rights complaint brought against Ohio

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 17:02:00 +0000

Advocates for the poor have filed a civil rights complaint against Ohio officials for failing to renew the state's food stamp waiver for all 88 Ohio counties, which resulted in thousands of Ohioans losing the federal benefits, states an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

In a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which can be found here, the advocacy groups argued the decision disproportionately hurt minority Ohioans. The complaint was filed jointly by The Legal Aid Society of Columbus, the Ohio Poverty Law Program, the Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio and Advocates for Basic Legal Equality.

Comments on Ohio's 2014 TANF plan

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 19:13:00 +0000

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has submitted its 2015 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) plan to the federal government. The plan is in its public comment period until late August. The Athens County Department of Job and Family Services submitted comments to ODJFS relative to that plan.

In a nutshell, we recommend the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services not accept Ohio’s TANF plan as written because of the state’s inability to meet the TANF program goals, its unfair and inequitable treatment of needy families, its tendency to shirk civil rights and ADA compliance in the implementation of the program, and numerous other reasons explained below.

Editorial: Streamlining delivery of human services is critical for Ohio's poor. So is providing adaquate resources

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 18:37:00 +0000

An editorial from the Cleveland Plain Dealer states that Ohio's range of welfare programs resembles a row of silos. Each caches valuable services. But each stands alone. Both for welfare clients and Ohio's budget managers, that kind of architecture guarantees problems.

Now, an Ohio Office of Human Services Innovation, recently created by the General Assembly and backed by Gov. John Kasich, will aim to "break down [those] silos" to coordinate service delivery. ...

The legislature told the Human Services Innovation office to recommend by Jan. 1 how to better coordinate human services and achieve "standardizing and automating" eligibility screening. ...

As legislators debated the Innovation office, Athens County's Jack Frech, a veteran, respected county Jobs and Family Services administrator, testified that the goals given the Innovation office "are admirable," but that legislators should add one: "[Assuring] that the basic human needs are met for all Ohioans."

Legislators, to no one's surprise, didn't put that on the Innovation office's must-do list. But Frech's point is crucial: Smoothing service delivery is important, but having adequate services to deliver is, in the larger scheme of things, equally — arguably, more — critical.

Ohio employs nearly 2,400 in new welfare-to-work program

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 16:24:00 +0000

After a slow start, a $66 million state effort to help welfare recipients find jobs and move off public assistance is picking up steam, according to a recent article in the Columbus Dispatch.

Nearly 2,400 Ohioans found jobs through the Ohio Works Incentive Program during its first year, which ended on June 30. More than 90 percent of the placements were made in the past six months.
Roughly 19,700 adults who receive cash assistance can participate in the program. ...

The board serving Athens, Meigs and Perry counties found jobs for every one of its 156 program participants despite having some of the highest unemployment rates in Ohio. Most are employed in low-wage fast food and retail jobs, many of them part time.
Jack Frech, director of the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services, attributed the high placement rate on the decision to give all of its $272,500 in bonus money to the workers, providing further incentive to stay on the job.

“They need the money more than we do. They use it to keep a car on the road and feed their families, and we’ve found it to be a useful incentive,” Frech said.

Fewer people getting public assistance even as poverty rises

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 14:28:00 +0000

The Columbus Dispatch reports that despite rising poverty, the number of Ohioans receiving public assistance continues to drop, raising questions about how the state helps the poor.

A report released today by Policy Matters Ohio notes that those working in some of Ohio’s largest occupations – cashier, home health aide, food service – don’t make enough to support their families and escape poverty.

Public-assistance programs like subsidized child care, food stamps and cash assistance help stabilize low-wage workers and their families, but eligibility requirements have been restricted and enrollment reduced in recent years, according to the report.

Get help applying for Medicaid; enrollment clinic slated for Aug. 7

noreply@blogger.com (Athens County Job & Family Services) — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 20:26:00 +0000

The statewide expansion of Medicaid has meant more low-income people are now eligible for the free medical services. To help more get the assistance they need with the sign-up process, we scheduled our next Medicaid Enrollment Clinic in the evening.

The Work Station, located at 70 N. Plains Road, The Plains, will host the clinic on Thursday, Aug. 7, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Work Station will only be open that evening for the clinic – all other services will be closed.

During the clinic, counselors and Affordable Care Act navigators from Ohio University's Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine will sit with applicants individually to help them complete the process either by paper or online.

This is the third in a series of enrollment clinics at The Work Station.

Unlike the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplace, the enrollment period for Medicaid is ongoing. Now, those between the ages of 19 and 64 with an annual household income at or below 133 percent of the Federal Poverty Level may qualify for coverage. Anyone earning near this amount is encouraged to apply. Previously, Medicaid eligibility was limited to pregnant women, families with children, senior citizens and those with disabilities who met income guidelines.

Applying for benefits can be done online at benefits.ohio.gov. Paper applications are also available from the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services. For more information, call ACJFS at (740) 797-2523 or the area’s Healthcare Navigator at (740) 593-0828.

Walk-ins for the Aug. 7 Medicaid Enrollment Clinic will be seen as time permits. To guarantee an appointment, contact:

Justin Kendrick
ACA Navigator for SE Ohio
Grosvenor Hall 061, Athens, OH 45701
ACANavigator@Ohio.edu
(740) 593-0828