After a wonderful break for the December and January holidays, Erin and I were ready to get back on the road. Our batteries were recharged. The interstates had our name all over them. Time to head down south to a food distribution event in Sciotoville where we could really do some good.
Alas, the snows came.
This is our first event canceled because of the weather and I certainly appreciate it. Watching the snow accumulate outside our windows here makes me grateful that our safety taken into consideration by the people who organized the event in Sciotoville. I'm also pleased that we won't be required to drive through any Level II snow storms. I just wish the winter weather would wait for the days when we're supposed to be in the office instead of on the road.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
New York Times Article on Food Assistance
I wrote a little post on a recent New York Times article on food assistance on our sister site. The article is a must read.
Friday, January 1, 2010
HAPPY NEW YEAR
I'm writing this from the spit of land known as Cape Cod on New Year's Day. Just finished watching one Ohio team win the Rose Bowl and the other good Ohio football team just won the coin flip in the Sugar Bowl.
I just wanted to take a second during this vacation to point out that 2009 was a wonderful year. And I'm not saying this to suck up to my superiors! It's been an absolute pleasure working on the Mobile Express. Erin and I - along with other Benefit Bank counselors willing to sacrifice the occasional Saturday or late night - have signed over a hundred people up for things like food stamps and utility assistance. We've done eligibility checks for over one thousand Ohioans.
And it may be cliche, but it would be remiss of me to point out that 2010 will be even better. This will be the first tax season where the Mobile Express will be in full force. We'll be going to parts of Ohio where we've never been before. From the covered bridges of Ashtabula County to the Dum-Dum Capital of the World in Williams County. The mileage is going to be intense.
So keep checking in. Our next big trip is in the middle of January and things kick into high gear not long after that. See you around the state!
I just wanted to take a second during this vacation to point out that 2009 was a wonderful year. And I'm not saying this to suck up to my superiors! It's been an absolute pleasure working on the Mobile Express. Erin and I - along with other Benefit Bank counselors willing to sacrifice the occasional Saturday or late night - have signed over a hundred people up for things like food stamps and utility assistance. We've done eligibility checks for over one thousand Ohioans.
And it may be cliche, but it would be remiss of me to point out that 2010 will be even better. This will be the first tax season where the Mobile Express will be in full force. We'll be going to parts of Ohio where we've never been before. From the covered bridges of Ashtabula County to the Dum-Dum Capital of the World in Williams County. The mileage is going to be intense.
So keep checking in. Our next big trip is in the middle of January and things kick into high gear not long after that. See you around the state!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Oh, Hey
Want to follow what's going with the Ohio Benefit Bank? Client stories? Links to articles about how great the program is? Get to know other people who are into the Benefit Bank?
Then become friends with The Ohio Benefit Bank on Facebook!
And tell your friends!
Then become friends with The Ohio Benefit Bank on Facebook!
And tell your friends!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Hello From Montgomery County
Dayton Urban Ministries has invited us to their fine city to help people looking for foreclosure help apply for different benefits. I'm writing this on my lunch break and already the event has been a smashing success. We've already helped clients apply for an array of benefits including food assistance, cash assistance, and even senior employment.
A lot of the credit needs to go to Dayton Urban Ministries. We're working with two of their Americorps State members - Iris Gordon and Robin McElrath - who are also trained Benefit Bank counselors. They've been extremely welcoming and helpful.
We were also paid a visit by Jessica Janowiak from Solutions for Progress. "Solutions for Progress?" you ask. Yes, Solutions for Progress. They're the developers of the Ohio Benefit Bank software. This makes them a big deal. Ms. Janowiak was watching us use the software and looking to make it more user friendly. It's a testament to Jessica's company that I've been on the Mobile Express since April and there have been several changes in that time to make the Benefit Bank system faster, smoother, and easier for clients to obtain the benefits they're eligible for. To have one of their employees over my shoulder knowing that it could help people across the country was truly an honor.
A lot of the credit needs to go to Dayton Urban Ministries. We're working with two of their Americorps State members - Iris Gordon and Robin McElrath - who are also trained Benefit Bank counselors. They've been extremely welcoming and helpful.
We were also paid a visit by Jessica Janowiak from Solutions for Progress. "Solutions for Progress?" you ask. Yes, Solutions for Progress. They're the developers of the Ohio Benefit Bank software. This makes them a big deal. Ms. Janowiak was watching us use the software and looking to make it more user friendly. It's a testament to Jessica's company that I've been on the Mobile Express since April and there have been several changes in that time to make the Benefit Bank system faster, smoother, and easier for clients to obtain the benefits they're eligible for. To have one of their employees over my shoulder knowing that it could help people across the country was truly an honor.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Chili Giveaway Leads to Dozens of Enrollments
For the past week, our Mobile Express has been out of commission. A generator malfunction was putting our equipment at risk, so we needed to get some maintenance done. The work on the generator wasn't invasive, it just took some time. Erin and I needed to find other ways to keep ourselves busy.
Our office really stepped up with ways to fill the time.
Emily Forsee, an Americorps member, organized a huge outreach event at our Direct Service Office in downtown Columbus. Last Wednesday, the DSO hosted a huge chili giveaway. Emily worked to get ingredients and bread donated to our office. She got all the important permits. She made the coffee and printed out the advertisements which were put up around the city. People came from all over the city to get some free chili (which was delicious).
The free food attracted a lot of people having trouble making ends meet. Many of these people were homeless. Unfortunately, the homeless have trouble getting food stamps since Job and Family Services requires a mailing address to send the Food Assistance Benefit Transfer Card as well as other correspondence.
Well, for the first time in our office's history, clients without mailing addresses will be able to use our office as their primary address. This will allow food stamps to go to those who had previously been unable to obtain them.
These efforts led to 58 new applications for Food Assistance and other programs. Fifty-eight! I was honored to be a part of those 58 applications. I hate to speak for Erin, but I'm going to assume that she's proud too.*
What a great event. Here's hoping that we have another day like this in the near future.
*Pride has since been confirmed
Our office really stepped up with ways to fill the time.
Emily Forsee, an Americorps member, organized a huge outreach event at our Direct Service Office in downtown Columbus. Last Wednesday, the DSO hosted a huge chili giveaway. Emily worked to get ingredients and bread donated to our office. She got all the important permits. She made the coffee and printed out the advertisements which were put up around the city. People came from all over the city to get some free chili (which was delicious).
The free food attracted a lot of people having trouble making ends meet. Many of these people were homeless. Unfortunately, the homeless have trouble getting food stamps since Job and Family Services requires a mailing address to send the Food Assistance Benefit Transfer Card as well as other correspondence.
Well, for the first time in our office's history, clients without mailing addresses will be able to use our office as their primary address. This will allow food stamps to go to those who had previously been unable to obtain them.
These efforts led to 58 new applications for Food Assistance and other programs. Fifty-eight! I was honored to be a part of those 58 applications. I hate to speak for Erin, but I'm going to assume that she's proud too.*
What a great event. Here's hoping that we have another day like this in the near future.
*Pride has since been confirmed
Friday, November 6, 2009
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.
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.
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