Building Bridges

As a mobile enrollment specialist on The Ohio Benefit Bank Mobile Express I am constantly trying to develop connections that will allow us to better serve the clients at the events which we attend.  One of the ways this can be accomplished is by working alongside other organizations who share our aims to help people in need.

Recently, The Mobile Express had an opportunity to work with The Breathing Association Mobile Medical Unit at Lutheran Social Services’ Champion Avenue Food Pantry in Columbus. 

The Breathing Association promotes lung health and helps prevent lung disease through education, detection and service in the low-income and minority populations of Columbus.

They provided some great services to the clients at the LSS-Champion Avenue Food Pantry, such as a free health screening, an opportunity to schedule an appointment at The Breathing Association’s free clinic where they could renew their prescriptions, and even offered a free flu shot!

It is mutually beneficial relationships like this one that can really assist people who are trying to help Ohioans in need.  If you are in Franklin County, and are interested in contacting The Breathing Association Mobile Medical Unit regarding your next event, you can contact them at (614) 273-2843 or visit their website.

The Tax Season Cometh

Winter’s chill is in the air, which can only mean one thing…. Tax Season is right around the corner!  The Ohio Benefit Bank™ Mobile Express is already gearing up and scheduling dates for the 2013 tax season, and we want to come to your clinic! The Mobile Express can help your site assist a greater number of Ohioans, and is especially interested in working with seniors, veterans, and people living with disabilities.  Requesting the Mobile Express is as easy as filling out our Request for Participation form, but don’t delay as dates are filling up quick!

                         

You’ve probably heard by now that the IRS has moved back the date at which they are accepting tax returns to January 30^th. Don’t forget that OBB counselors can still pre-file taxes as early as January 25^th by following these guidelines.

Stay tuned during tax season to the Mobile Express blog for great tax tips, stories about the people we meet, and ideas for better connecting to your local populations. 

Budget Cuts: Not Quite a SNAP

As you have probably noticed, ‘budget cuts’ have become a pretty popular topic in recent months and with the nation $16.3 trillion in debt, it probably ought to be. The question on a lot of our minds, including myself, is how will budget cuts affect the clients we serve?

As someone who drives around the state helping people in need access benefits, I can see firsthand how those cuts would impact our nation’s ‘safety-net’ programs. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly referred to as ‘food stamps’, is perhaps the most critical safety-net program as it provides a means for purchasing food; food that helps children learn and grow, helps adults maintain productivity at work, and helps seniors in the most vulnerable time of their lives.

But what can we, as people who help our neighbors in need, do to protect these programs? Fortunately, those folks out in D.C. and in our state capitol work for the people and they want to hear from you! Two easy ways to let your Senators and Representatives know where you stand are: writing a letter and calling them on the phone. You can use our locator to identify and contact the correct elected official.

If you are able, I encourage you or your organization to read and sign our petition to support the Ohio Food Program and Agricultural Clearance Program, which allows Ohio’s foodbanks to purchase nutritious food such as surplus and unmarketable produce from Ohio farmers and growers (read more here). Simply enter your information and select ‘sign petition.’ You can also stay informed of critical issues by signing up to receive advocacy alerts.

Reducing our national debt isn’t quite a “snap”. Changes that are made today will have long-term implications on our country’s future.  It is absolutely critical that our officials know how WE would like OUR money spent. Let your voice be heard!

‘Wrapped in Love’: A Reason to Smile

Mother Teresa once said, “We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” A smile could be simply defined as a pleased, kind, or amused facial expression, but couldn’t it be defined as much more than that? After attending ‘Wrapped in Love,’ a Christmas party for nearly 300 homeless women hosted by Potter’s House Church of God, Mother Teresa’s words have never been so clear.  Potter’s House took extra planning time to ensure their participants left with their needs met and a smile on their face.

Arriving at the event, guests were greeted by smiling volunteers who pinned corsages to their shirts as they walked the red carpet, ending at the sanctuary doors. Again and again as I watched groups of women flood the entrance, I saw faces turn from grey to gold. And it didn’t stop there!

The sanctuary was decorated top-to-bottom as a white winter wonderland: white table clothes and chairs, huge colorful center pieces, and fancy place settings with more forks than you could count. To top it off, the women were given raffle tickets for an event-long gift raffle. Smiles were everywhere: smiles of gratitude, self-worth, and hope.

I know we can’t always quite ‘roll out the red carpet,’ but it’s nice to be reminded of all the good  a little extra time and attention to a client can do, ensuring that clients leave with a smile on their face.

A conversation on Broad Street

Recently, at an event hosted by the Broad Street United Methodist Church in Columbus, where volunteers gave away nearly 900 boxes of food for holiday meals, we had the opportunity to really get to know some of the people we were attempting to help. It is through these interactions that we can perform one of our most important roles as benefit counselors, namely that of lending an ear to our clients and taking the opportunity to listen to their stories.

For me one of the most memorable moments at this event was a conversation with a woman who, while waiting for her ticket to be called, stopped over to see just what The Ohio Benefit Bank was all about. This strong-willed woman was trying to raise two grandchildren on an income that was extremely limited. She was already enrolled in SSDI, but she expressed a strong desire to find some sort of work, and a frustration that she had been unable to do so due to the injury that had disabled her.

It was because of her desire to contribute more that she was initially so excited about the Senior Community Service Employment Program, but she was unfortunately a few years shy of the minimum age to qualify. However, there were a few other ways in which we could try to alleviate some of the pressures in her life. We were able to help her apply for a Golden Buckeye card for herself and for entrance into the Big Brothers Big Sisters program for her grandchildren!

Thanks to Broad Street United Methodist Church for inviting us out to such a great event!  

New Look, New Focus, Same Services

Along with the new look, The Ohio Benefit Bank Mobile Express will also be working to upgrade its ability to support the OBB network! 

As you all know, the OBB Mobile Express functions like a full-service OBB site and is available to attend various events and provide OBB enrollment services. The Mobile Express comes complete with two highly trained OBB counselors and all of the technology necessary to use the OBB, including satellite Internet access.

In an effort to better support the OBB network as a whole, the Mobile Express will now be focusing on attending events that will target specific populations, including seniors, veterans, and people living with disabilities.  These populations often face unique barriers to accessing and utilizing benefits, so service providers have to work smarter to help.  The Mobile Express team will identify effective strategies and share them with the OBB network.

If you are planning an event that will reach out to populations including seniors, veterans, or people living with disabilities, please fill out the OBB Mobile Express Request for Participation found at www.ohiofoodbanks.org.  If you have any questions, or if you are not sure if your event fits, please contact Tyler Davis – tdavis@ohiofoodbanks.org.

On the road again: Veterans Day Parade

The Ohio Benefit Bank Mobile Express is back on the road! In lieu of a christening ceremony for the newly styled Mobile Express, we instead gave it a rousing send off by participating in the Columbus Veteran’s Day Parade.

Not only was this a great chance to thank our Veterans for their service, but it was also a fantastic opportunity to reach out to hundreds of people in Columbus. The Ohio Benefit Bank helps veterans apply for the tuition assistance and training that they have earned, including resources like the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill. (Click here to apply today)

We were joined by several OBB regional coordinators and other staff members from the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, all of whom helped pass out nearly 500 flyers about veteran-specific benefits. Our candy throwers, on the other hand, seemed to have an inexplicable popularity with the “ages 5 and under” bracket. Hmmm....

We couldn't have asked for a better way to showcase the Mobile Express’s brand new look, nor a better way to get excited about our upcoming events.