Little Chicago

Last week a VISTA, Danielle, traveled with me to Steubenville, Ohio. My grandfather would be happy to know that Steubenville was the birthplace of noted Rat Packer and pizza pie simile popularizer, Dean Martin.

this guy knows what i'm talking about

Danielle does a lot of work with the Senior Community Service Employment Program, one of the many applications found on the Ohio Benefit Bank software. She has a good ear for any event designed to help senior Ohioans, and she didn't disappoint here. Steubenville was hosting a farmers' market coupon distribution to seniors who were at 185% of the federal poverty level. In other words, these couldn't avoid our overtures. Unless they were residing in an assisted living facility where they didn't pay for heating, we had them for at least utility assistance.

Another thing we checked up on was the Golden Buckeye card. This card provides discounts on fast food and prescriptions and stuff like that and it's supposed to be automatically sent to you when you turn 60. Well, at least sent to the address you have on file at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. In other words, a lot of people don't get them.

The good news: these applications are easy as pie. It takes longer to set up a user name and password than it does to fill out the actual application. If you have a license that says you're over 60, give us five minutes and BOOM! the card is in the mail.

So while Danielle and I were estimating food stamp eligibility, we also were sending a dozen Buckeye cards into Jefferson County. Sure the discounts aren't always much, but they're something. And since some of these clients were eligible for other benefits (that take decidedly longer than five minutes), they now have a user name and password ready to go.

So, yeah, it was a great event.