| People Helping People Help Themselves |
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| The WSOS Press |
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| WSOS Community Action Commission Inc. |
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August/September 2005 |
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New CEO to take the reins at WSOS in September
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| NEIL McCABE |
Former employee and Board Member Neil McCabe has been named the new Chief Executive Officer of WSOS Community Action Commission, Inc.
McCabe replaces the late Don Stricker, who passed away in December. Vice President Ruthann House was the Acting CEO while the vacancy was pending.
"This (WSOS) is one of the best Community Action Agencies in the nation and it's an honor to work for this board and with this staff," McCabe said.
While no specific start date has been set, McCabe is expected to take office in September.
McCabe, a Tiffin resident, worked at WSOS in the 1980s and is currently the Development Director at WBGU-TV in Bowling Green. As an employee at WSOS he served as the director of the Rural Community Assistance Program (RCAP) from 1979 to 1986. Then, he joined the Board of Directors in 1999, representing Seneca County and serving as the secretary/treasurer until his resignation in January 2005.
McCabe has a bachelor's degree from the University of Scranton and a master's degree from Ohio University.
| 40th Anniversary celebration scheduled for Sept. 9 |
WSOS CAC, Inc. turns 40 this year and a celebration is planned for September 9. All employees will be honored with a day of reflection, recognition, and fun.
The celebration will be at the Quilter Civilian Conservation Corps Camp in Green Springs.
David Bradley, executive director of the National Community Action Foundation (NCAF), of Washington, D.C., will be the guest speaker at the event.
Bradley will be the featured speaker also at a special fund-raising dinner on September 8 at the Holiday Inn French Quarter in Perrysburg. Proceeds of the dinner will go to the Community Action Partnership - Political Action Committee.
Employees will receive milestone service awards. Also, the employee with most longevity will receive special recognition.
WSOS was established in 1965 after President Lyndon Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act. Since then the agency has been an integral part of the War on Poverty.
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| Area families targeted for literacy and parenting help |
The newly acquired Even Start grant will be ready for participants in the fall, according to Dr. Kimberly Theller, director of K-12 curriculum and state and federal projects at Fremont City Schools.
The $190,000 renewable grant is the result of the collaboration of WSOS and Fremont City Schools. This is the only new Even Start program the state funded in 2005.
The goal of the program, which is funded by the Ohio Department of Education, is to serve 15 families in need of adult literacy and parenting education.
"This is another exciting collaboration between Fremont City Schools and WSOS," said Dr. Theller.
Even Start targets those parents with children eight years old and younger in the Fremont school district, who need to complete their high school education. Participating families must commit to the one-year program, which will provide them with math and reading literacy. These skills will help them to complete the requirements for their General Equivalency Diploma (GED). Also, they will receive parenting education through programs operated by WSOS.
While parents participate in these trainings, their young children will be enrolled in the childcare portion of the program, which is operated by WSOS.
"We hope that through this program, parents will have a more relaxed relationship with the school system that will lead to their children having a good experience at school," Dr. Theller said
For more information on this program, call Dr. Theller at 419-334-5437 or Cate Knipp at 419-334-8911.
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| Ribbon-cutting, ground-breaking at WSOS |
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| Representatives from various agencies cut the ribbon at Tremont Greene. From left: Ruthann House of WSOS, WSOS Boardmember Krista Underwood, Karen Banyai of OHFA, Don Corley of WSOS, Tiffin Mayor Bernie Hohman, Tiffin City Councilman Pete Galipeau, Jeff Woda, and Jim Saad of Star Title. |
Woda Development conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony in July for the Tremont Greene housing complex that it constructed with the help of WSOS CAC Inc.
The Tremont Greene event was part of the ribbon-cutting ceremonies that Woda had for all its properties in Tiffin. The Coventry House and Devon House, housing for senior citizens, also were opened at the same time.
Tremont Greene has one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units with walk-in closets, mini blinds, central air conditioning, a patio, all new kitchen appliances, and landlord-paid trash removal and water/sewer. Rents range from $400 to $580.
An effort in Fostoria to build a one-stop office for families seeking assistance, childcare, social services and other services came to fruition on July 22 when the group had a ground-breaking ceremony on the property where the building will be erected.
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| Parents, staff and children of the WSOS Early Childhood Center in Fostoria participate in the ground-breaking ceremony at the site of the new building. |
The building is a collaborative effort of Seneca County Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MRDD)-Early Intervention/Help Me Grow, Seneca County's Health Department, Fostoria Community Hospital, the Betty Jane Center, and WSOS.
WSOS is expected to move its Early Childhood Center, currently located at First Presbyterian Church in Fostoria, to the new building upon its completion. The new building is expected to be completed by September 2006.
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Director's Corner
Homeless programs unable to honor all requests for help |
Homeless Programs are a part of Family Development. It is led by Vice President Cheryl Denny.
In 2004, WSOS received more than 2,700 requests for housing assistance. Of these, nearly 400 were homeless. That is, they were either living in their car, a shelter, the streets, or a campground. The remaining requests came from persons who were at-risk of being homeless.
Of the 400 homeless requests, WSOS enrolled 68 in the Homenet Transitional Housing Program, and 75 in the Homenet Permanent Supportive Housing Program. Households enrolled into either of these programs are provided assistance to locate safe, affordable housing in their communities.
Once housing is secured, through its funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), WSOS pays the security deposit. Then, based on the participant's income, WSOS will also subsidize the rent.
During home visits, Family Advocates help the participant develop a mutually agreed upon plan intended to move the participant toward housing stability, then monitor their progress on the plan.
Those enrolled in the transitional housing program receive assistance up to 24 months. Those enrolled in the permanent housing must have a verifiable disability and may receive assistance beyond the 24-month limitation.
At the same time, WSOS enrolled 161 in the homeless prevention program. This program provides families and individuals who are at-risk of homelessness with short-term assistance in the form of security deposits, rent, mortgage, and utility assistance. These households are provided up to three months of supportive services so they can maintain their housing.
The circumstances that cause homelessness or near homelessness are varied. However, the lack of affordable supportive housing account for the majority of the precipitating factors.
This column features a different program in each issue. Next will be the Summer/After School program.
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Marine Mechanics Skills for Life is seeking a buyer for a refurbished boat that was donated to the program. Proceeds from the sale of the boat, which has a Suzuki 150 horsepower engine, will go to the program. Anyone interested in seeing and/or buying the boat should call 419-333-6049.
Applications are now being taken for a new Marine Mechanics class, scheduled to begin in October. Call Ragan at 419-334-8911 for more information.
The Sign Shop at the Quilter Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp is seeking new clients. The shop uses recyclable plastics to make a variety of signs and plaques. The shop is also a training ground for participants of the CCC camp. For more information, call Tim at 419-639-2802.
Farmer's Market vouchers are available to area senior citizens on the first of each month. In Fremont, the vouchers are distributed at the American Legion Hall on the first of the month. In Clyde they are at the VFW hall. Call 419-334-8181 for more information.
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A familiar face
Job gives Oliver the opportunity to do what she loves - meet new people |
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| JOAN OLIVER |
Full name: Joan Louise Oliver
Address: Fremont
Family: Daughter Zariyah, 7; and Zariyah's pets: Cosmo the fish, Baby Boy the hamster, and Chester the turtle.
Occupation: Currently, Joan is the Lead Family Advocate in Sandusky County located at the Stricker Family Development Center. She joined WSOS in 1988 as a bus driver. She has also worked as a teacher's assistant and home visitor, all in Sandusky County.
Favorite part of the job: Joan said she loves to meet new people and her job gives her the opportunity to do so every day. She also enjoys working with her co-workers because they are dedicated to helping families.
Goals: Her main goal now is to complete her course work at Terra Community College so that she can move on to Bowling Green State University where she plans to complete a degree in social work.
Interests/Hobbies: She said she loves to take photographs, read and spend time with her daughter and niece Marisol. She enjoys taking them to Cedar Point.
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