On April 15, The United Auto Workers hosted a lifeline event for the unemployed in Youngstown's Chevy Centre.
There certainly wasn't a shortage of people who needed help. With an unemployment rate approaching 15%, the UAW event saw thousands of attendees looking for work or, failing that, looking to keep their heads above water. That's where we come in.
Erin and I spoke to dozens of people, most of whom appeared to be eligible for state and federal benefits. However, we ran into a problem that we hadn't encountered in other parts of the state. Youngstown has a shortage of Benefit Bank sites. There were only seven in the immediate area. Only three were open to the public.
We were happy to work with one of the Benefit Bank sites in the area: Catholic Charities of Trumbull and Mahoning County. They made appointments right on site ensuring that people received the support they needed.
At the end of the day, I found myself wishing that we could do more. There are over 850 Benefit Bank sites in Ohio. But the need for more, especially in places like Youngstown, remains.
There certainly wasn't a shortage of people who needed help. With an unemployment rate approaching 15%, the UAW event saw thousands of attendees looking for work or, failing that, looking to keep their heads above water. That's where we come in.
Erin and I spoke to dozens of people, most of whom appeared to be eligible for state and federal benefits. However, we ran into a problem that we hadn't encountered in other parts of the state. Youngstown has a shortage of Benefit Bank sites. There were only seven in the immediate area. Only three were open to the public.
We were happy to work with one of the Benefit Bank sites in the area: Catholic Charities of Trumbull and Mahoning County. They made appointments right on site ensuring that people received the support they needed.
At the end of the day, I found myself wishing that we could do more. There are over 850 Benefit Bank sites in Ohio. But the need for more, especially in places like Youngstown, remains.
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