Busy, Busy, Busy

The last few weeks have been about as busy as we've ever been here on the Mobile Express. Highlights in the past few weeks have included the Great Pumpkin Show in Circleville and the start of the Home Energy Assistance Program right here in Columbus.

See that first link? Click it. Scroll down a few paragraphs and check out the picture of the 2009 prize winning pumpkins. The biggest was 1600 pounds. Have you ever seen a 1600 pumpkin before? Have you even considered a 1600 pound pumpkin before? I had two different people (Enrollment Specialist Jerry Lee and VISTA/Senior Employment Specialist Danielle Gray) with me over the course of the event, and I tried out the same joke: "Whoever planted those gigantic pumpkins must have been out of their gourd." Neither Jerry or Danielle laughed, but their contributions were appreciated regardless.

After speaking to hundreds of people in Circleville, the Mobile Express spent a week in The Breathing Association's parking lot to help people who were applying for emergency utility assistance. Those funds became available on November 1, so the Association expected quite the turnout.

While in that parking lot, we spoke to dozens of people and helped a few people apply for food stamps. I even did one person's back taxes, leading to an expected $1500 refund. It's always surprising to see how many hungry people are eligible for food assistance but still haven't applied. No matter how many times we run into these situations, it still shocks me. I'm proud that we are and will continue to work to close that gap.

If You're Getting Out of Jail, Apply For Food Stamps!

I've been to three events recently that have targeted released and soon-to-be released felons who are eligible for benefits. Erin and I spent an entire day in Circleville where parole officers walked their wards over to the Mobile Express to have their eligibility checked. Jerry and I did the same in Sidney. And Erin and I, with a VISTA volunteer (thanks, Zach!) made another trip to Marion to help prisoners who were to be released to the general public in the next thirty days.

The trip to Marion clearly illustrated that many convicted criminals don't have jobs lined up for when they are released. And the trips to Sidney and Circleville hammered that point home. Unemployment remains a huge problem here in the Buckeye State. Being convicted of a felony greatly exacerbates that. Work is hard to find, and unemployment can lead to recidivism.

So why don't any of the ex-offenders we see have food stamps!?

There may be no greater population in need of public assistance and yet this is the population most likely to be eligible for something they're not taking advantage of. It's a problem. Hopefully, our trips to prisons will give these soon-to-be released inmates a jump start on receiving the benefits that can help provide for a second chance.

Pretzel Festival in Germantown

It goes without saying that if there's a festival revolving around a savory treat, the Mobile Express will find a way to be there. And there's so much you can do with a pretzel! Pizza pretzels, chocolate pretzels, pretzels with mustard. The possibilities are only as limited as your imagination!

Alas, Germantown's Pretzel Festival was mysteriously devoid of pretzels. Lots of pretzel t-shirts, not so many of the salty starches we all know and love. So my second seat - Enrollment Wiz Stephanie Blessing - and I had to make due with deep fried Oreos. Oh, the sacrifices of the road.

All kidding aside, the organization that invited us to the festival was fantastic. The Community Action Mission Partnership (CAMP) consists of a series of churches in Germantown, Farmersville, and New Lebanon that offer services to those in need. Our contact with CAMP, Reverend Karel Hanhart, was enthusiastic to help us get the word out about CAMP being the only Benefit Bank site in the area. He did such a great job that we ran out of literature!

The moral of the story: pretzels don't make or break an event. The people do. And we couldn't have expected any better.

The Mobile Express Makes Its First Trip to Prison

Did you know that taking a van into a prison yard requires lots of precautions? It's true! We weren't allowed to carry cell phones. Or money. Or any sharp objects. And you need to protect the van steering wheel with The Club. And we can't have our keys, those go to the prison guard in charge of supervising us.

Of course, when you're with sixty prisoners who are scheduled to be released in the next thirty days, all of the precautions are worth it.

A big thank you to Marion Correctional Institution for reaching out to us so we can help dozens of their soon to be released inmates integrate into general society. By starting the process of applying for food stamps, these inmates are one step ahead of the game!

The incarcerated are another demographic that can greatly benefit from using the Benefit Bank. Many prisons also double as Benefit Bank sites and we're always happy to help prisoners and their family members get the help that they need. This may have been the first event in a prison, but we suspect there will be many more valuable events within prison walls in the near future.

Big Idea for a Smaller Community

Erin and I were lucky enough to be invited to a community picnic in Darbyville. Darbyville is a small village in Pickaway County, about 45 minutes outside of the capital city. With a population of under 300, it may just be the smallest village we've ever visited.

The picnic provided great music, great sloppy joes (Sloppy Joes?), and more cornhole than I could shake a stick at. It turns out that Erin is better than me. I'd argue that she has an inherent advantage being from Ohio and all, but results are results. She is the better cornholer.

The picnic was held at the Darbyville Community Technology Center. This technology center is a great idea. With library hours being cut across Ohio and with unemployment continuing to be severe in the state, it's more important than ever to make sure people have access to the Internet so they can look for work, fine tune their resumes, and even apply for unemployment benefits. I'm glad that Darbyville has been able to provide such a valuable service. And I hope to see more of these technology centers in our trips across the state.

\m/

Oh boy, we are falling behind on this Mobile Express blog. Sorry!

I want to go back in time two weeks to August 29. Erin and I were in Warren, the county seat of Trumbull County in the northeastern corner of Ohio. Warren was hosting a back to school event and we were there to spread the word about free school lunches protecting parents from paying for any school fees. We were happy to get the word out and, as usual, the event was a success.

But I want to focus on a different aspect of Warren. A part of Warren that has nothing to do with poverty or public benefits. I want to focus on Warren's David Grohl Alley.

pictured: Russell (left) and sign

If you're not in the know, Dave Grohl is the former drummer for Nirvana, the current singer and guitarist for the Foo Fighters (who I don't like, but, whatever. Dave Grohl!). Grohl has also moonlighted as a drummer for the Queens of the Stone Age on of my all-time favorite albums. He also playes for Tenacious D, and has his own heavy metal project called Probot.

pictured: Probot, Erin's hand making the sign of the devil

I can't believe a city paid to have that painted on the street. Fantastic.

Grohl is now drumming for Them Crooked Vultures, a supergroup that includes John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. If you are playing with a member of Led Zeppelin, you have it made. Them Crooked Vultures is playing Columbus on October 6. I will be there.

When Erin and I created this blog, one of the things I wanted to write about was experiencing different parts of Ohio for the first time. I've only been in the state for a little over a year so I wanted to write about my first impressions of the different parts of the state. So imagine my surprise when I went to a mid-sized town three hours from Columbus and found a shrine to one of my favorite drummers. That's pretty neat.

So, thank you, Warren! I'll remember you always.

An Overnight Trip to Lorain

Two weeks ago, I made a trip up to Lorain with my boss, Nora. That's a lot of pressure. Not that I'm usually a menace on the roads, but I figured it was wise to be extra-extra-extra careful when your driving your supervisor up I-71.

Thankfully, I made it to Northeastern OH with nary a speeding ticket or at-fault accident. I did make the mistake of taking a toll road without any cash. So, a big shout out to the state employee who let me go without paying the $1 toll. We got into Lorain just in time for Nora to have her first meal at Red Lobster. (She gave a thumbs up to cheddar biscuits. Thumbs down to fried clams.)

Nora was there with our Executive Director, Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, to check out the food banks in Lorain. I was there to offer benefit assistance to a food drive at the Prince De Paz Church. That meant I was flying solo for at least the beginning of the event. It got a little intimidating. At one point I had a line of a dozen people looking to see if they were eligible for assistance. Thankfully, all of the people in line were patient and friendly. People had the time to ask me specific questions and not feel pressured by the people waiting in the wind and drizzle.

A few hours in, Nora arrived with a bagel and diet soda. A true breakfast of champions. With Nora there, the lines moved that much faster and we were able to speak to almost 40 potential clients.

All of this wouldn't have been possible without the tireless effort of Lorain VISTA, Samantha Flores. Her work made the food drive a success. Her efforts helped people put food on the table and made it easier for them to apply for food stamps and other benefits. Bravo.