This blog will no longer be active beginning April 1, 2012. Please visit ohiobenefits.org and click Counselor Resources for all of your OBB needs.
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Friday, November 5, 2010

How to become and Ohio Benefit Bank counselor

Here is a presentation that explains the steps to becoming an OBB counselor. Just keep clicking the gray arrow at the bottom of the presentation box to navigate your way through the presentation. There is a text version of the presentation beneath the interactive box.



So you've always wanted to become an Ohio Benefit Bank counselor...

  1. First, are you associated with an already established OBB site? If not:
    1. Use our site finder to find an established site in your area, then contact the site to get approval to volunteer with them with the Ohio Benefit Bank.
    2. "Wait!  I already work/go to church/volunteer/know of someplace that would be a great Benefit Bank site.  Can't I just do Benefit Bank there?"
    3. Sure!  Check out our other post about how to become a new Benefit Bank site.
Once you're associated with a site, you then need to find a date you can attend training in your county.
  1. Find the Google Training Calendar on the right hand side of this blog.  Click to open up the calendar and view upcoming training dates.
  2. Register for the training by emailing an AmeriCorps*VISTA Community Trainer (contact information on the right sidebar of this blog as well).
    1. Make sure you provide your full name, email, phone number in case we have to cancel due to inclement weather, and the site you are working with.
Remember:  All trainings are from 9:30 am - 4:00 pm.  You will receive an email a few days before the training with detailed location information.

 

How to become a new Benefit Bank site.

Here is a presentation that explains the steps to becoming a new OBB site.  Just keep clicking the grey arrow at the bottom of the presentation box to navigate your way through the presentation.  There is a text version of the presentation beneath the interactive box.



So you want to become a new Ohio Benefit Bank site?  Before you decide, consider the qualifications:

  1. No monetary cost
    1. Free software, trainings, and marketing
  2. Other costs
    1. Human resources (make sure you have a solid volunteer or staff base that can be trained as counselors).
    2. High speed internet and printer (The Benefit Bank is online software, so high speed internet is crucial.  A goal of The Benefit Bank is client education and preparedness, so you would have to print off helpful information and client applications.)
Got all that?  Great! To become a new site you first have to...
  1. Attend a webinar
    1. The webinar is an hour-long online introduction for the site administrator.  It goes over the privileges and responsibilities of becoming a site.
    2. We offer a webinar once a week and it is online so you will be able to listen from your own computer and will not need to travel to attend.
  2. Upon completion of the webinar you will be sent some online paperwork
    1. Once you have completed the online paperwork you will officially be a site.
Next you will be able to have your employees and counselors attend trainings
  1. This is a day long training (9:30 am - 4:00 pm) to teach new counselors how to access and operate the OBB software.
If you want to find out more or contact a representative, click on "Contact your local Benefit Bank Community Trainer" on the right hand side of this blog.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Energy Improvement Rebates available to Columbia Gas Customers

Columbia Gas has a program that allows customers to receive a deeply discounted energy audit ($50) to determine where and how to imporve energy efficiency. If the customer elects to have any of the recommended work done, the work will be completed with some pretty major rebates. Click here for more information.