ODA Director Merle Kearns, second from left, chat with County Commissioner Brad Smith, right, and Robin Richter and Bryan Glover of Seneca County Committee on Aging.

Reauthorizing the Older Americans Act was the main message of Merle Kearns, director of the Ohio Department of Aging, who was the special guest of a forum “Profiles of Ohio & Sandusky County Aging Trends” on June 16. The forum was organized by WSOS Senior Programs and served as an opportunity to look at how senior programs are funded around the state.

Bryan Glover, president of the Ohio Association of Senior Centers and executive director of the Seneca County Committee on Aging, also made a presentation on where Sandusky County ranks among the state in levy dollars collected for senior services. Sandusky County ranks 5th from the bottom in the amount of levy funds per senior citizen.

“Senior levies are becoming more and more integral to funding senior centers,” Glover said, “and they are becoming more and more difficult to pass.”

More than 70 community leaders including Rep. Jeff Wagner and Sandusky County Commissioner Brad Smith and senior citizens participated in the forum that provided information on senior issues.

The Great Lakes Consortium (GLC) recently wrapped up a visit by women from Siberia, Russia, and it’s now in the midst of a visit by a delegation of Tanzanian officials interested in Rural Workforce Development. GLC is administered by WSOS.

The 10 women from the Siberian area of Novosibirsk were interested in non-governmental organization and governance. They visited Fremont for a roundtable discussion with about 10 representatives of nonprofit organizations in the WSOS community on May 1. After the roundtable, they visited the Liberty Center Shelter, WSOS Stricker Family Development Center, Community Health Services and Sandco Industries.

The Tanzanian delegation arrived in the U.S. on June 14 and visited Fremont and WSOS on June 20. They participated in a roundtable discussion with area workforce development experts. The delegates also took with them to ship from Toledo more than 20 computer systems, extra monitors, printers and faxes that were donated by WSOS for the Tanga community in Tanzania.

CONNIE GAUTHIER

Name: Connie Gauthier

Address: Perrysburg, Ohio

Family: Husband James; son Alexander, 5; and daughters Victoria, 10, and Elizabeth, 5.

Occupation: Connie is a homemaker, but she volunteers at the WSOS Jordan Family Development Center in Bowling Green where she is serving a second year on the Wood County’s Policy Council.

Board Status: She joined the board in May 2006 to fill an unexpired term for a Wood County respresentative.

Goal as a board member: Connie said she truly believes in the mission of WSOS. "I embrace it and will foster that vision during my term as a board member," she said.

Interests/Hobbies: She said she is an avid esquestrian, a passion she shares with her husband James.

Lyle Hirt, seated in photo at right, listens intently as Margaret Karr of Clyde, is inducted into the Seniors Hall of Fame. The induction took place during Senior Day at the American Legion hall in Fremont.

The Sandusky County Senior Citizen Hall of Fame has inducted its fourth class of 14 at the Senior Citizens Day celebrated in May. The class included 11 from Fremont, one from Clyde, one from Gibsonburg, and one from Woodville.

Inducted were Charles Aldred, Edward and Polly Eberly, Bob and Jan Guthrie, Lyle Hirt, Eileen Horn, Barbara Krzewinski, Harry Dan Miller, Louis Murray, and Sister Esther Raitz - all of Fremont; Shirley Crone of Woodville; Margaret Karr of Clyde; and Margaret Hull of Gibsonburg.

Plaques are awarded to each inductee at the Senior Citizen Day event and their names are inscribed on a single plaque, which hangs at the WSOS Senior Center in Fremont.

Inductees all exhibit outstanding volunteer contributions to the community that demonstrated 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 volunteers for any organization within the county.

Fremont Mayor Terry Overmyer and Sandusky County Commissioners Terry Thatcher, Dan Liskai, and Brad Smith all attended the Senior Day festivities and shared lunch with the group. Also, the mayor congratulated all of the inductees.

Ottawa County Commissioner Carl Koebel, left, takes flowers from WSOS Homenet participant, Paula Minnear (center) as WSOS President/CEO Neil McCabe looks on. Participants and staff visited commissioners in May during Community Action Month.

Staff: 5 Family Advocates
Supervisor: Ragan Claypool
Director: Jacquie Wells

Only a few short years ago, homelessness in the WSOS communities was not considered a major problem. Today, it is estimated that on any given night, 189 individuals and 165 people in families experience homelessness.

The WSOS homeless prevention programs staff struggle to help the families who come to us for assistance with the limited funding the agency receives.

WSOS administers three grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that, currently, provides assistance for 83 individuals and 136 families that make up 201 children and 177 adults. It also administers a grant from the Bowling Green Housing Authority. Another two-year grant from the Ohio Department of Development assists 105 households.

In 2005, these grants and others provided assistance to 331 individuals and families in the WSOS four-county service area.

The agency has been operating homeless prevention and assistance programs since 1990, and over the years acquired five homes that serve as transitional housing from some who find themselves homeless.

The goal of each grant is to help the families and individuals to become self-sufficient so that they never experience homelessness again.

As a result of their efforts, the data indicates that 66 percent of those who enter the program with no income usually increase their incomes within six months. In addition, 100 percent of those who move to permanent housing (from transitional housing) maintain that status for at least six months.

These results exceed all expectations.

Editor’s note: The Director’s corner appears in each newsletter. Next issue features Summer Cooling Program.

The mayor of Norwalk was one of the more than 60 people from six communities who attended the Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) hosted by WSOS’s Housing and Energy Department in May. The seminar was conducted to inform lenders, mortgage brokers, and community leaders of the benefits of the program to the communities.

Housing Director Chuck Wright said the information sharing was beneficial because information taken back to the communities has already yielded more participants for the program.

Only six months into the program and Even Start has already provided three single parents with a head start. Three parents participating in the program graduated with their General Equivalency Diploma (GED) in May.

“It was a really good experience,” said Shanell Haywood, the single parent of two daughters 7 years old and two months old. “Everyone was so supportive, it made us all work harder to accomplish our goals.”

Haywood, Priscilla Martinez and Heather Carpenter are the first participants to complete the program. Haywood said she always wanted to be a beautician but she could not because she did not have a high school diploma. Since May, she has been accepted at the Toledo Academy of Hair Design and is scheduled to begin classes in September.

“I am so excited, I can’t wait,” she said.

Even Start serves families in the Fremont City Schools district in need of adult literacy and parenting education. It aims at improving educational opportunities for the families by integrating early childhood education, adult literacy and basic education, and parenting education in the program.

GRACE PEREZ

Full name: Maria Grace Perez

Address: Fremont, Ohio

Family: Husband Fred Grafals; son Vincent, 7; and the family cat Tori.

Occupation: Since August 2003, Grace has served as the secretary/receptionist at the WSOS Stricker Family Development Center. Before joining the WSOS team, she worked as a data entry specialist in Boca Raton, Florida, where she lived before moving to Fremont.

Favorite part of the job: Grace said the best part of her current job is being able to meet and interact with her co-workers. “They are just good people,” she said. Also, the children at the center give her great joy, she added.

Goals: Her goal, she said, is to continue to grow and get better in her job. “I just want to be more proficient,” she said.

Interests/Hobbies: While spending time with her family ranks at the top of her priority list, Grace also enjoys reading, baking, and making jewelry.