| The WSOS Press - April / May 2003 |
More affordable housing coming to WSOS communities
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| Houses in the new Leewood Development in Fremont are springing up daily. The single-family homes are expected to be completed by December. |
A construction worker, above, puts up the walls of one of the houses in the new Leewood Development in Fremont. The development is expected to be completed by December.
Houses are taking shape at the Leewood Place community in Fremont where 40 single-family homes are being built for moderate income families in Sandusky County. Leewood Place will be followed shortly by the Laurelhurst Senior Housing in Clyde.
These new housing efforts are the results of the partnership of WSOS, Woda Development, and the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing.
WSOS has sought funds for housing since a series of community meetings in May 2000 called Dialogue on Poverty where residents prioritized their needs in the community and named housing as one of the top three issues in each of the four counties that WSOS serves.
Rent for the Leewood homes will range from $400 to $550 per month for one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom units. The renters will have the option to buy a unit when the units are 15 years old.
In Clyde, the Laurelhurst housing community will include a new Senior Citizens center. Currently, the center is located at the Clyde Heritage Hall on South Main Street.
Plans are to break ground on the Tiffin units no later than March 2004. These units are also geared to moderate income residents.
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Focus of Week of the Young Child is families
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WSOS Child Development Centers celebrated Week of the Young Child with a series of Family Fun Days that were all held in partnership with other community organizations that serve young children.
In each of the four counties in the WSOS service area, families and their children found activities that they could do together as well as useful information about young children.
The Week of the Young Child is celebrated in April. Its goal is to create greater awareness of the needs of young children.
In Sandusky County, families stood in line in cold temperatures for up to 30 minutes to enter and participate in the Story Book Festival. In Seneca County, families were treated to activities at each booth in the fair held at the Tiffin Mall. Similarly, in Wood County, families were invited to the Woodville Mall where alumni of the Child Development programs there read to children currently in the program. And in Ottawa County, a family fun day at the Port Clinton High School provided many hands-on activities for children and their parents. |
Board Member Profile
Jacquie Couch seeks to make a difference as a board member
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| JACQUELYN COUCH |
Full name: Jacquelyn Couch
Address: West County Road 10, Alvada, Ohio.
Family: Husband of 25 years; two adult children; and 11 grandchildren.
Occupation: Jackie is currently the manager of a 100-unit apartment complex, Fostoria Townhouses. Before that she worked in the customer relations field for 25 years.
Board Status: Jackie joined the WSOS Board of Directors in January 2003 for a two-year term.
Goal as a board member: She wants to be involved in the community and she sees increasing her knowledge about WSOS' programs as helping her to do that.
Hobbies & Interests: Jackie loves to collect antiques . She also enjoys sprint car racing with her hus- band, but spending time with her grandchildren is special.
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Jordan center dedicates new addition
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| Sen. Randy Gardner, left, cuts the ribbon to open the new addition at the Jordan center. He is assisted by BGSU Provost John Folkins, WSOS Board President Mel Browning, Superintendent of Wood Lane Bill Clifford, President of Wood Lane's Board of Directors Jane Quinn, and children from the Early Intervention and the childcare programs at the Jordan center. |
More than 30 community leaders and a state legislator gathered on Monday, April 14, for the dedication of the addition at the Jordan Family Development Center in Bowling Green.
Sen. Randy Gardner, R-Bowling Green, and a representative from the office of Congressman Paul Gillmor, together with Vice President/Provost John Folins of Bowling Green State Unviersity, Wood County Commissioner Alvin Perkins, and Bowling Green Mayor John Quinn expressed their appreciation of the collaboration that led to the construction of the addition at the Jordan center, a collaboration that benefits the larger Bowling Green community. WSOS Board members Mel Browning and Traci DiBlasio also attended.
The center houses the Wood Lane Early Intervention program as well as WSOS Child Development and Family Services programs.
While children from Early Intervention and WSOS childcare programs held the ribbon, Sen. Gardner, Provost Folkins, Mayor Quinn, Jane Quinn of the Wood County MR/DD board and Mel Browing of the WSOS board of directors cut the ribbon.
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WSOS celebrates National Community Action Month in May
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County commissioners of Seneca and Wood counties proclaimed May Community Action Month in their counties when employees and participants of programs operated by WSOS Community Action Commission Inc. visited them to ask for the proclamation and to thank commissioners for their support of the programs that help families. Other commissioners will issue proclamations for Sandusky and Ottawa counties later in May.
In 2002, programs supported by county commissioners in the WSOS service area served 1,355 children and their families; helped 108 families and individuals avoid homelessness; provided employment and training to 149 individuals; served 424 children with after school services and 328 youths with career development, and eight families became first-time homeowners. Also, 8,919 senior citizens received meals and transportation. |
Directors's Corner
The Housing dept. helps homeowners
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| DIRECTOR CHUCK WRIGHT |
The Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) for Ottawa County and the City of Port Clinton is a state-funded program that provides housing repairs and/or rehabilitation to income-eligible residents as well as down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, and homeowner counseling.
It is available to incomeeligible residents, and is available both to residents of the county and the city of Port Clinton.
CHIP serves eligible residents who may need repairs to their existing homes. The rehab aspect of the program targets major repairs, especially those that pose health or safety hazards such as faulty or inappropriate electrical wiring, a leaky roof or unsafe furnace. Rehab work can include new roofs, plumbing and foundation repairs, windows and door replacement, lead-based paint removal, insulation, handicapped accessibility improvements and so on. Funds are also available to help landlords repair rental properties if they agree to upgrade their property and if the tenant is income-eligible.
Moderate-income residents who believe they may be able to buy a house, should contact WSOS as soon as possible before funds are exhausted. A housing specialist will help residents determine how much house they can afford and how they may be able to buy it, and will provide counseling to those buying a home to help them understand what it takes to be a homeowner and how to budget for repairs. CHIP provides help with down payment for the house as well as with repairs, if needed.
For more information, call 1-800-775-9767 or 419-334-4431.
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Family Fun activities have become a popular activity for families of the After School Program, Head Start and the Title 1 program at the Fremont City Schools. The last activity brought about 300 families together. Other Family Fun activities planned are a Hispanic Festival and Cinco de Mayo on May 5.
WIA Youth program of Ottawa County has scheduled a Youth Summit for May 22 at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds. The summit's goal is to find a resolution to the issues facing youths in Ottawa County.
Senior Programs will establish its Hall of Fame club at its Senior Day celebrations in Ottawa and Sandusky counties. Twelve senior citizens from each county will be recognized based on their contributions to improving the lives of others in their communties and inducted into the new Hall of Fame.
Ottawa County's recognition will take place at the county's Senior Day event on May 21 at Camp Perry recreation hall, while Sandusky County will honor its inductees on May 13 at the county's Senior Day celebration at the American Legion Hall in Fremont.
Emergency Services will begin its Summer Cooling Program June 6. This program provides an air conditioner to income-eligible residents suffering from a medical ailment that is relieved by an air conditioner. Call 419-334-8911 for more information. |
WSOS volunteers recognized
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Volunteers from among the various WSOS programs were honored during April-May in each of the four counties in the WSOS service area.
Employees designated the event as a "Hats off to our Volunteers" and volunteers who attended the event were feted and shown appreciation by staff who attended. Volunteers provide valuable service to WSOS and the programs it operates. Many could not survive without the help of volunteers. Volunteers help with the after school program, the child development programs, senior programs, emergency services, and the Ameri- Corps volunteers, who have become an integral part of our programs. Curently, there are four AmeriCorps volunteers - Robin Cover in Ottawa County, Adrienne Skrbina in Sandusky County, Michelle Bradford in Wood County, and Wendy Ohler in Seneca County.
In 2002, WSOS realized a total of 68,010 hours of volunteer service. Child Development had about 2,500 volunteers during 2002,while there were about 220 in the Senior Programs, and about 100 in the New Directions After School Program and Emergency Services.
Thank you to all our volunteers! |
Familiar Face
Terri Laeng gets great satisfaction from using her skills to help others
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| TERRI LAENG |
Full name: Teresa "Terri" Lynn Laeng
Address: Roosevelt Street, Fremont
Family: Husband Jim, parents, two brothers and two sisters.
Occupation: Terri is one of WSOS' accountants, a position she has held for the past nine years. However, she joined WSOS about six years earlier and has always worked in the accounting department.
Favorite part of the job: She said she loves her job because she is always learning something new. She enjoys helping people and her job provides her with that opportunity. In addition, she likes being part of a team, and she believes in the mission of WSOS.
Goals: Her immediate goal is to excel in her job, doing what is necessary to keep up with the ever-changing technology. Her long-term goal is to have good health and travel when she retires.
Hobbies & Interests: Terri loves to walk, read, and shop. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends and she gets great personal satisfaction from helping others.
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