CACEHR NewsLine -April,May,June

2nd Quarter 2016
www.cacehr.org
May is Community Action Awareness Month
CACEHR celebrated Community Action Awareness Month by planning events with our community partners during the month of May. Staff also took action shots of our various programs; colored pictures of the Community Action “huggy heart” logo; and recorded staff saying the Community Action motto of “Helping People,
Changing lives”.
The Head Start Program hosted the “First Annual Color Throw Olympics” in May with staff members working may countless days to prepare for this event. We invited many of our local community partners and our children and families got the chance to interact with the fireman, police officers and even the Mayor!
Head Start children wore white t-shirts and when they completed an activity such as writing their name in
the sand, hula hoop races and balloon relays; each child was then sprayed with a water color. At the end of the
day, everyone had a colorful shirt! Each child received a certificate of completion, a participation ribbon, a book
and other goodies that were donated by area businesses. A big thank you goes out to everyone who helped to
make this event a huge success.
~Facebook post from Brittany Clemons, Head Start Parent
“Well today was a straight success. I want to say thank you to Ms. Conswala, Ms. Sheila, Ms. Terri, Ms. Detra, Ms. Tieara, Mr. Chris and every
teacher and parent and police officer and fire department and every one that helped out. These kids had a blast on this beautiful day. I'm thankful
that my child was able to participate in the first annual color throw!! You gals and guys’ rock!”
...from the desk of President/CEO Janice W. Warner, CCAP
This has been a very hot summer, therefore, Community Action Commission of
Erie, Huron and Richland Counties and Ohio Development Services Agency want to remind Ohioans that help is available to stay cool during these hot summer days.
The Home Energy Assistance Summer Crisis Program runs from July 1 until August 31,
2016 and provides eligible Ohioans assistance paying an electric bill or assistance paying for central air conditioning repairs. Eligible customers may also receive a portable air
conditioner or fan.
The program provides assistance to low-income households with an elderly member (60
years or older), or households that can provide physician documentation that cooling assistance is needed for a household member's health. This can include lung disease;
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; or asthma. Ohioans must have a gross income at or below 175
percent of the federal poverty guidelines to qualify for assistance. For a family of four the annual income
must be at or below $42,525.
To apply for the program, customers are required to schedule an appointment by calling 866.861.6360. Customers need to bring:
•
a copy of their most recent energy bill,
•
a list of all household members and proof of income for the last 90 days for each member
•
proof of citizenship or legal residence, and
•
physician documentation that cooling assistance is needed for a household member’s health (if
there isn’t a household member over the age of 60).
Eligible households can receive up to $300 if they are a customer of a regulated utility, or $500 if they are a
customer of unregulated utilities such as electric cooperatives and municipal utilities. The benefit can be a
combination of a portable air conditioner, fan and/or utility assistance. Utility assistance is applied to a customer’s utility bill or applied to central air conditioning repair costs.
Customers enrolled in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus Program (PIPP Plus) are not eligible for
bill payment assistance through the program but are encouraged to work with CACEHR employees to identify other opportunities for assistance.
For more information about the features of the Summer Crisis Program locally, contact Sandusky at
419.626.4320; Norwalk at 419.668.9823; Mansfield 419.589.2520. Additional information can also be found
at www.energyhelp.ohio.gov or by calling the toll-free at (800) 282-0880.
Efficiency Smart Partnership
Efficiency Smart is partnering with CACEHR to help low income families save on their electric usage and utility
cost in their homes. The program is designed to educate and provide cost efficient light bulbs kits to households
who meet the guidelines in the Monroeville Electric area. The program also extends to CACEHR Shelby residents
who are Monroeville Electric customers. Monroeville Electric customers can stop in our Norwalk office located at
92 North Prospect Street or at our Shelby office located at 29 1/2 Walnut Street to apply for these kits.
For Your FYI
Dave Harris, of our Huron County Social Service office, proudly reports 46 more tax returns for a grand
total of $416,244.00 for the tax year of 2015. The money that was returned went back into the Huron
County communities.
Summer Cooling Program
Community Action Commission of Erie, Huron & Richland
Counties, Inc. is announcing the 2016 SUMMER COOLING PROGRAM will start on July 1st, 2016. The Summer Crisis Program is a cooling assistance program that
may provide a one-time payment toward an electric utility
and for those who meet the program eligibility requirements. The program will end on Wednesday, August 31st,
2016.
Please Note: Customers who are currently on PIPP Plus
(or have been) are not eligible for SCP monetary benefit.
PIPP Plus customers who are current with their PIPP
Plus installments may receive an air conditioner and/or
fan ONLY if they have not received one in the past three
(3) years and are medically or age eligible
Household
PIPP
HEAP
1
Up to 17,820.00
$22,790.00
2
Up to $24,030.00
$28,035.00
3
Up to $30,240.00
$35,280.00
4
Up to $36,450.00
$42,525.00
5
Up to $42,660.00
$49,770.00
6
Up to 48,870.00
$57,015.00
7
Up to $55,095.00
$64,277.00
8
Up to $61,335.00
$71,557.00
We are now enrolling children for the 20162017 program year. We would love to have
your children part of our program. Please
feel free to stop by and get an application
and receive a tour of the Head Start building
and talk to our Head Start Staff.
We are looking forward to meeting you and
your family.
Richland County
Richland County Programs Coordinator, Mark Hardin and
Judge Candidate Earl Wise, of Richland County
Mark was present for the Juneteenth event on June 18th.
Community Action staff in Richland County serving food and interacting with participants.
The "Fun in the Sun" program focuses on bringing healthy activities and social interaction
to low income areas for youth participation.
Summer Food Service Program
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides free, nutritious meals and snacks to help children in
low-income areas get the nutrition they need to learn, play and grow throughout the summer months when
they are out of school.
The SFSP was created to ensure that children in low-income areas can continue to receive nutritious
meals during long school vacations, when they do not have access to school lunches or breakfasts. Although millions of children depend on nutritious, free and reduced-price meals and snacks at schools during nine months of the year, just a fraction of that number receive the free meals provided by the SFSP
during the summer months.
“The Summer Food Service Program in Sandusky kicked off on June 20, 2016, and will continue weekdays through August 5th, except for July 4th. Viola Washington, Erie County Supervisor has operated this
program for the last 14 years.
Our program operates in Sandusky in collaboration with Sandusky’s Recreation Department Summer
Playground Program and provides free meals to anyone 18 years of age or younger. There’s no income
requirement or rules; anyone under 18 who at a site will receive a free lunch. Breakfast also is available at
some sites.
There’s also a CAC location in the city of Huron and one in the city of Bellevue.”
Sandusky Register Article, June 2016
For the month of June the total amount of breakfast meals being served was 266 and the total amount of
lunch meals being served was 1,405.
Employees in this
Photo (left to right):
Aryan Langdon, Viola
Washington, Jeanette
King, Detra Brown,
Tieara Brown, Levon
Nicholson, and Brian
Hunley
Aris Brown, Student
Volunteer and Kendall
Johnson, Summer
Youth Worker, also
helped with this program
OFFICE LOCATIONS
908 Seavers Way
Sandusky, OH 44870
597 Park Avenue East
Mansfield, OH 44905
419-626-6540
419-589-2520
1530 South Conwell St.
Willard, OH 44890
419-935-1010
92 North Prospect St.
Norwalk, OH 44857
419-668-9823
CACEHR Advisory Board
Laura Baker - Richland County
Jackie Rawls - Richland County
Reva Braden - Huron County
Jerry Shoemaker - Huron County
Darwitt Garrett - Erie County
CACEHR Board of Trustees
John Jacobs – Erie County
Mayor Steven Schag-Richland County
Pervis D. Brown, Jr. – Erie County
Sherri Marshall – Richland County
Jan Shingledecker-Huron County
Heather Carman – Erie County
Emma Moore – Erie County
Vicki Slaughter – Erie County
Jacob Coy – Erie County
Christina Raftery – Huron County
Mary L. Stewart – Huron County
Lowell Etzler – Huron County
Anna Anderson – Richland County
Ann Stoddard – Huron County
John Evans – Huron County
Mary Ann Sanders-Erie County
Robert Westerfield – Richland County
“To promote self-sufficiency and improve the quality of life of those in need.”