| People Helping People Help Themselves |
|
| The WSOS Press |
|
| WSOS Community Action Commission Inc. |
|
June/July 2005 |
|
WSOS expands services and service area
 |
| Children in the summer/after school program participate in various enrichment activities. Above, a grant from the Sandusky County United Way provided children in the 2004 program with fishing experiences. |
The WSOS New Directions Summer/After School Program has branched out to the Fostoria Community Schools. Also, the program has been able to add a before-school program in the Clyde-Green Springs school district and a summer program at the Fremont Middle School.
"We have been fortunate to partner with the area's Departments of Job and Family Services (DJFS) to make these additions possible," said Mae D. Leake, coordinator of New Directions.
Scheduled to begin July 5, New Directions will operate a pilot summer program for at-risk fifth-graders in Fostoria Community Schools district who have Seneca County addresses. The program is funded in part by the Seneca County's DJFS and the school district.
The before-school program in Clyde and the summer program at the Fremont Middle School are made possible by a grant from the Sandusky County DJFS.
Even Start Program
WSOS also learned recently that a proposal submitted in partnership with Fremont City Schools for an Even Start program was funded. The proposal sought $200,000 for four years to improve educational opportunities for families by integrating early childhood education, adult literacy, basic education, and parenting education into one unified literacy program.
Early Learning Initiative
WSOS's request for funding to operate the Early Learning Initiative (ELI) was also funded. ELI s the former Ohio Head Start and Ohio Head Start Plus programs that WSOS has operated in the past. ELI funds will allow WSOS to provide services to 108 families in its four-county service area. This two-year grant will provide services to 26 additional families in the grant's second year.
Weatherization
WSOS is expanding its service area into Erie and Huron counties. Housing & Energy was the successful bidder for the Home Weatherization Assistance Program (HWAP) for those counties when the Ohio Department of Development, Office of Energy Efficiency, recently put the program up for bid. (See Directors' Corner on page 3 for more information). Housing is also operating a Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) for the City of Norwalk. Anyone interested in more information on any of Housing's programs should call 419-334-4431.
| Senior Hall of Fame inducts third class of 25 |
 |
| Oma Pump in the Shirley Temple costume she wore to the Sandusky County Senior Day celebration. She was one of 11 "Granny" Award winners at the event. The seniors made the awards (in Oma's hands) by painting gold Mrs. Butterworth's syrup bottles. |
Twelve Sandusky County senior citizens and 13 from Ottawa County were honored on Senior Day in each county when they were inducted into their respective county's Senior Hall of Fame.
Those from Ottawa County included Tom Allen, Robert Bredbeck, Jeanne Letterhos, and Stanley Stucky, all of Port Clinton; Sandy Crone and Betty Oberhaus, both of Genoa; Phyllis Garn of Oak Harbor; Thomas Miller, of Elmore; and Billy and Barbara Halblaub, Ellie Rudolph, and Phyllis Dress, and Stanlene Zimmerman of Danbury.
Inducted from Sandusky County were Joyce Burroughs, Marvel Cherry, Dana Dorsey, Jim Hammer, Vera Knott, Billie Jean Parks, Marvin Mullholland, John Roush, and John Van Der Laar - all of Fremont; Robert Reiman of Woodville; Patricia Tuck of Clyde; and Helen Hespe of Gibsonburg.
Each inductee received a plaque at the Senior Citizen Day event and their names are inscribed on a single plaque, which hangs at the WSOS Senior Center in Port Clinton and Fremont respectively.
Inductees were chosen for exhibiting outstanding volunteer contributions to the community and for demonstrating that they gave of their time, money and compassion to improve the quality of life for others, demonstrating characteristics of positive aging. Nominations were open to anyone 60 years of age and over, and anyone who has been a volunteer for any organization within the county.
More Senior News - Farmers' Market vouchers
The first distribution of Farmers' Market vouchers for 2005 took place the first week of June in both Ottawa and Sandusky counties. More than 1,600 seniors were served in Sandusky County and another 1,000 in Ottawa County. The vouchers are for June and July and should be used by the end of July.
Beginning in August, vouchers for that month will be distributed monthly until October.
Each senior citizen receives $24 worth of vouchers and they must be used in the month they are issued except for June and July.
The vouchers are provided by the Area Office of Aging of Northwest Ohio and distributed by WSOS Senior Programs at the senior centers in each county.
For more information call 419-334-8181 or 419-734-1481
|
| County commissioners recognize Community Action Month |
 |
| Sandusky County Commissioners, from left, Brad Smith, Terry Thatcher and Dan Liskai try to give a preschooler from the Early Childhood program in Fremont and her parent coupons after the preschooler presented commissioners with flowers during the CA month visit to their offices in May. |
County commissioners in the primary service area of WSOS CAC Inc., visited with participants and staff of programs administered by WSOS during May as part of the effort to celebrate and recognize the work of Community Action in the WSOS service area.
Each group of commissioners of Wood, Sandusky, Ottawa and Seneca counties issued proclamations recognizing May as Community Action (CA) Month in their county.
"I am grateful for your support of WSOS and the programs it provides in the community," said Donna Marie Fred of Bowling Green during the visit to Wood County commissioners. "After I lost my job due to my disability, I didn't know what I would do. It is WSOS programs that has given me hope now. Thank you so much."
This year's theme for CA month was Unity - unity with local leaders; national, state and local governments; and business and industry. WSOS is especially appreciative of all its partners.
|
Director's corner
Housing & Energy: Director Chuck Wright
Housing awarded funds to serve Erie-Huron counties |
It is a rare opportunity when the Home Weatherization Assistance Program (HWAP) provider gets a chance to expand their program by acquiring additional territory. In April 2005, the Ohio Department of Development Office of Energy Efficiency
offered this opportunity to HWAP providers to acquire the grant for the counties of Erie and Huron. WSOS was one of four agencies that submitted a proposal to serve these two counties.
On May 13, the state awarded the $269,000 grant to WSOS Community Action Commission, Inc. These funds are to be used to weatherize, meet health and safety needs, and make small repairs for about 63 homes in these two counties.
While this is exciting news for the Housing & Energy Department, it also creates new challenges. For instance, additional personnel, equipment, and training along with additional production goals are required. Housing and Energy is not only willing and ready, but also has the ability to meet these challenges. The staff is looking forward to these new challenges.
In addition, in April 2005, the department submitted five Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) applications for the cities of Fremont, Tiffin, and Norwalk as well as for Sandusky and Seneca counties. Once again this will provide the department with the opportunity to administer and implement these community grants for home repair, home rehabilitation, down payment assistance, homebuyer counseling, and other services.
Also, in September 2004, Ottawa County and the City of Port Clinton's applications for CHIP were funded and Housing and Energy again contracted with those entities to administer and implement those CHIP grants in those communities.
Housing and Energy is excited and looking forward to meeting the challenges that these programs bring with them.
The Directors' Corner appears in each newsletter. Family Development's Homeless Prevention programs will be featured in the August/September newsletter.
|
The 11th Annual Fund-raising campaign kicks off July 1. The annual campaign seeks donations to help families that cannot be helped due to grant restrictions. The campaign, which began in 1995, has raised $168,710 to date. The funds have been used to help WSOS families who fall through the gaps created by grant restrictions. Examples of what fund-raising dollars have been used for include building a wheelchair ramp for a newly disabled person, funeral expenses for a Head Start family, drilling a new water well for a family, rental deposits for many families, and car repairs to help individuals keep their jobs.
The WSOS Board of Directors is seeking someone to fill a slot from a community interest group in Seneca County. The vacancy was created when Neil McCabe of Tiffin resigned in January.
Penny Moore, Early Childhood Coordinator for Sandusky County, was honored by the Sandusky Leadership Class 2005 as Trustee of the Year 2005. Moore is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Court Appointed Special Advocate of Sandusky, Seneca and Wyandot counties. Congratulations!
|
A familiar face
Webb simply wants to do her best for the seniors she serves |
 |
| ELIDIA WEBB |
Full name: Elidia Webb
Address: Sandusky County Road 236, Clyde.
Family: Husband Don; sons Jason and Ryan; five grandchildren, Bodie Ryan, one month old; Tressel, 3; Kadin, 3; Rylie, 6; and Notestine and Brenna, 10; as well as her Doberman Pincher, Zeus.
Occupation:Elidia is the site manager for the Senior Center in Clyde. She was hired for the position in April 1994.
Favorite part of the job: She said she really enjoys talking and listening to the seniors who frequent the center. They share neat stories and she learns a lot from them.
Goals: Elidia said her goal is to be the best center manager that she can be. She really wants to do the best for the seniors who visit the center and to help the other centers in any way she can.
Interests/Hobbies: Apart from spending time with and enjoying her family and grandchildren, Elidia loves to travel. She also spends lots of time caring for the family's four horses.
|
Top