Ohio Will Have Summer Crisis Program

The Office of Community Services has announced that, thanks to an additional release of funds for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, a Summer Crisis Program will be held this year.

  

The program will be held in July and August to assist elderly and low-income disabled residents with air conditioning bills. Details will be forthcoming.

  

Fiscal Year funding for LIHEAP for 2011 is just over $181 million, a decrease from last year's $220 million. 

Read the article or find more news from the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies here.

Tabling Event tips

 This post is written by Sarah Olinger

They got to park right out front. Hello OBB Express!

One of the many perks about working with the Ohio Benefit Bank is traveling around Ohio, meeting organizations and people who are doing great things (or are in need or great help).  Last week I went with another VISTA and our OBB Mobile Express to a school in Cincinnati. I was excited to connect with a school in need, as my project focus is school outreach in Central Ohio.

My colleague Beth managed to wrangle a couple of Kings Island tickets as donations, and she set up a raffle opportunity with the school.  Our table was set up in the middle of a hallway, and our goal was to catch parents as they went by.  What better way to attract attention than the opportunity to win free tickets?

We also made sure to have plenty of marketing, squishy fruits, and signage to alert people to the opportunities at our table.  If you are doing a tabling event in the future, make sure you have enough OBB marketing to pass out.  Need more marketing for your site? Order it here. Some sites also print stickers with their contact information, placed on the brochures. 

If you need an OBB representative to do a tabling event, or need any materials or advice, we do plenty of outreach and would be more than happy to give you a hand! Let us know.