TODAY IS THE DAY! From today on when you come to the Ashtabula County WIC offices you will receive the WIC Nutrition Card and no more coupons! It's an exciting time for our county!! The new card is an exciting upgrade that will change the WIC experience from clinic to checkout line! Families will go from having coupons each month to one card for the group. The new system will be faster and more convenient. In the clinic, WIC will load items for the entire family on the card, based on their needs, and provide a summary of what items are loaded on the card for purchase. Participants will be able to pick out these items at the store and use the card, with pin #, as payment. The process of ringing up the items will remove them from the card and provide an updated list of still-available items. Families will have more options and freedom in how much and when they purchase items loaded on their card.

Summer Crisis Program

The Summer Crisis Program (SCP) began July 1st. SCP provides up to $250 in utility assistance to qualified applicants, and targets households with seniors age 60 and over or with individuals who have a medically diagnosed chronic illness or disease. Assistance can include supply of a new air conditioner, monetary assistance, or a combination of both. As the maximum benefit is $250, in some cases a co-pay may be required from the customer to ensure thirty days continuous service, which is the goal of this program. PLEASE NOTE- NEW THIS YEAR------ Participants in the PIPP Plus year-round payment program will not be eligible to receive a utility payment. However, PIPP Plus customers may be eligible to receive an air conditioner if they have not received one from the program in 2012, 2013, or 2014. To qualify for this program, households must have an annual gross income of 175% of the federal poverty level or below. A customer does not need a disconnect status to receive assistance through SCP. If a household has received an air conditioner in the last three years, they are not eligible for one this year, but if eligible, they could receive some financial assistance. To complete the application, the following items are needed: *Photo ID (Driver’s License, Ohio ID Card); *Original Social Security Cards and dates of birth for all household members; *Current electric and gas bills that are in the name of one of the adult household members; *Proof of gross income for everyone in the household for the past 90 days; *If no household member is age 60 or older, a documented medical condition verified by a licensed physician or registered nurse practitioner on letterhead, stamped, or prescription note (NO COPIES or FAXES). The document must say ”Due to an illness, this client would benefit from continued electric and/or air conditioning.” Applications will be processed at our building at 6920 Austinburg Road by appointment. For more information or to schedule an appointment call the automated line 866-223-1471. For further assistance or general information, please call 2-1-1.

Community Action Open House & Action In Motion Academy Expo!

May 20, 2015--- Expo 10 am- 4 pm--- Open House 11 am- 2 pm--- Community Action Astabula Towne Square Mall

HEAP Winter Crisis Program Available

WCP continues to assist customers with a one-time payment per heating season for gas or electric utilities or toward the delivery of wood ($350), propane, fuel oil or kerosene (up to $750) to households when: a customer's gas or electric has been disconnected; a customer has received a final disconnect notice; or the customer has less than a 10 day supply of bulk fuel. Scheduled appointments are served Monday-Friday at our 6920 Austinburg Road location. Call (866) 223-1471 to schedule an appointment. For those who have a critical energy situation, we have "Walk-Ins" Monday-Friday from 8:00 am- 3:30 pm at Ohio Means Jobs (formerly Job Source) located at 2247 Lake Avenue, in the Ashtabula Plaza. Walk-In slots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis and generally fill up early. Once all available slots are filled, no further walk-ins will be seen that day. All other customers will be asked to return on another day, or encouraged to call the Automated Appointment Line (866) 223-1471 to make a scheduled appointment. All customers are encouraged to call the appointment line for a list of required documents to be seen and complete the application. This is still an income based program with eligibility based on the household gross income at or below 175% of the National Poverty Income Guidelines. All applications for Ashtabula County will be processed by Community Action. This is the fifth (5th) year for the PIPP Plus Program. There have been no changes to PIPP Plus. So if it is time to re-verify your PIPP Plus amount or you would like to apply for the Winter Crisis Program or Regular HEAP, call (866) 223-1471 to schedule an appointment. Or for more information call 2-1-1 Ashtabula County.

CDL Truck Driving School Highlighted at Innovation Summit!

On November 20, 2014 the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies (OACAA) held an Innovation Summit to highlight creative programs within the network. Judith Barris, Executive Director Ashtabula County Community Action Agency (ACCAA) presented the Action In Motion Academy- CDL Truck Driving School during a Community Action Leaders panel. The panel highlighted innovative programs designed and implemented to meet a specific need within their communities and has helped low-income families and individuals increase their self-sufficiency. We are extremely grateful to all of our partners for their support and we are proud to provide this service to Ashtabula County. For more information or to enroll, call 440-261-9721.

"My Neighborhood" Clean Up Success!

As part of their mission to "bring people and resources together to help revitalize and rebuild a stronger neighborhood where people want to live, work, play and prosper," My Neighborhood spent several hours on Saturday, November 8th doing a neighborhood clean-up. Members of My Neighborhood, area residents, and volunteers from Lakeside High School Leadership, picked up litter and raked leaves on the streets surrounding Clifford Kadon Presidential Park (W. 58th & Madison, Ashtabula). Thank you to everyone who helped out, and special thanks to Ashtabula City for their support of the event and to JP Ducro for helping to clear some of the vacant lots in the area. If you would like more information about "My Neighborhood" call 440-997-5957 or follow us on Facebook for the latest news. https://www.facebook.com/myneighborhood.ashtabulacounty. We welcome anyone interested in being a part of positive change.

Community Needs Assessment Underway!

PLEASE TELL US WHAT YOUR NEEDS ARE! TAKE THE SURVEY. As part of our mandate as a Community Action Agency, we must conduct a needs assessment and produce a comprehensive needs assessment document for our service area at least every 3 years. This is one of those years and during most of October we will be collecting data and information from members of all areas of the community. The data gathered will help our agency, as well as other community leaders, to understand the gaps that exist in services, prioritize needs and better allocate resources within the community. The information provided will be used by Community Action in considering development of future services, implementing additions or improvements needed to make it easier to use existing services, and establishing partnerships and collaborations to better serve you and your family. No questions “require” you to answer but it is our hope that you will answer as many as possible to provide good data for our results. We appreciate your time and input.

Summer Crisis Program Ends This Week

Hurry- this is the last week to apply for the Summer Crisis Program (SCP). The program can assist with electric bill payments and/or provide an air conditioner. The maximum benefit to each household this season is $350. In some cases, a co-pay may be required from the customer to ensure thirty days of continuous service. To qualify, households must have an annual gross income of 175% of federal poverty level or below. A customer does not need to be in disconnect status. If a household has received an air conditioner in the last three years, they are not eligible for one this year… but if they are eligible they may receive financial assistance. To complete an application they will need to bring the following:• Photo ID (Driver’s License, Ohio ID Card) • Original Social Security cards and dates of birth for all household members• Current electric and gas bills that are in the name of an adult household member• Proof of gross income for everyone in the household 18 years of age and older for the past 90 days • If you rent– landlord’s name/address/phone • Proof of Disability• If no household member is age 60 or older, a documented medical condition verified by a licensed physician or registered nurse practitioner on letterhead, stamped, or a prescription note issued no more than one (1) year prior to the date the applicant applies (NO COPIES OR FAXES) The document must state “Due to an illness, this client would benefit from continued electric service and/or an air conditioner.” Just dial 2-1-1 for information regarding appointments.

All County Senior Picnic

Ashtabula County Council on Aging will be having their "All County Picnic" August 22, 2014 at the Ashtabula County Fairgrounds in Jefferson from 11 am to 3 pm. This picnic is open to all Ashtabula County Senior Citizens, their caretakers and companions as well. Hot dogs, buns, potato salad, baked beans, beverages and cake will be provided. ACCOA suggests a donation of $2.50 per person age 60 or older, and $5 for anyone under the age of 60. The meal provided will be according to the ODH guidelines specific to the Community Action and the Senior Nutrition Program. This picnic is open to all Ashtabula County Senior Citizens, their caretakers and companions as well. If an individual has special needs, a caretaker must be in attendance to ensure that their needs are being met. Please RSVP to Lisa Bruckman at 440-998-6750 or Toni Tulajew at 440-576-9052 by Friday, August 15, 2014, to reserve your spot and ensure enough food is available. (Please make sure that all participants are picked up by 3.)

National Farmers Market Week

The Community Action WIC program provides coupons to eligible families. Use your coupons at the following locations: Ashtabula WIC Office (Parking Lot) 3225 Lake Avenue-- Every other Tuesday (8/12, 8/26) 10:00 am- 1:00 pm; Ashtabula Bridge Street Market-- Sundays 10:00 am- 2:00 pm; Conneaut Farmers Market Moose Club (Parking Lot) 280 Park Avenue-- Saturdays 9:00 am- 1:00 pm; Geneva Smith's Fruit Farm 6611 South Ridge East-- Daily 12:00 pm- 5:00 pm; Jefferson Historical Society (Behind the buikding) 42 E. Jefferson Street- Saturdays 9:00 am- 1:00 pm; The Bird Feeder 1484 State Route 46 North-- Monday- Friday 10:00 am- 6:00 pm Saturday 10:00 am- 4:00 pm. For more information call Ashtabula WIC at 440-998-7515. Buy Local. Buy Fresh.

Sign Up Now for Meals on Wheels

Community Action’s Meals on Wheels Program currently has openings for qualified individuals in need of home delivered meals. Seniors aged 60 or over who are predominantly home-bound may qualify for the Meals on Wheels Program depending on their nutritional support systems and physical limitations. Each meal is designed to provide 1/3 of the recommended daily allowance, and is approved by a Licensed Dietician. Included with each meal is an entrée, fruits and vegetables, bread, and milk. (A minimum contribution of $1.00 per meal is suggested.) Each meal is delivered by an experienced Food Deliverer whose visit helps serve as a wellness check on loved ones for family members away or at work during the day. If you or someone you know is homebound and unable to fix your own lunchtime meals, contact Meals on Wheels for more information @ (440) 998-3244.

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Mission Monday