HealthPath Event

VISTAs across Ohio are working on a partnership with the Benefit Bank and HealthPath, which provided funding for outreach and events to introduce the presence of HealthPath in the region and to roll out our new campaign: "Do You Know Someone..."  We all know someone who has in some way been effected by the economic downturn; a friend, neighbo, or relative that has lost a job or needs assistance in some way.

One of these networking/information events, organized by another VISTA, was held this week in one of my counties.  Clark county is on the West edge of the Central Ohio region, and the county seat where the event was is Springfield (I drove past it every time I travelled back and forth to school, never thought I would have any personal investment there!)

Look at all these people!  Notice they all get a mug that is shaped like a little flower pot (Second Harvest Foodbanks = distributing produce =  Flower pot. Genious), as well as a laptop bag. There were a little over 40 people in attendance, including the mayor of Springfield, an assistant to a Senator, two county commissioners, a couple city commissioners, the director of Job and Family Services, the regional coordinator of the Second Harvest Foodbank in Clark, Champaign and Logan counties, and representatives from social service organizations that are integral in assisting the citizens of Clark county every day.

We even got free lunch.  (This was before the Food Stamp Challenge, don't give me those accusing looks.  No cheaters here!)

The representative from HealthPath awarded Keith, the regional director of Second Harvest Foodbanks, a check for his Foodbank to help feed Clark County.  

I was on the opposite side of the room, ready to sign people up for training webinars if they wanted to become a site, and taking pictures from my phone.  So we are all going to imagine how exctiing and wonderful that check presentation was, in light of absent artistic photo capturing skills.

It was so great to have a lot of the people I have been trying to contact all together in one place.  My projects are all picking up speed, the next couple weeks in August are going to be a whirlwind of site visits and meetings.  Especially since I will be moving into my NEW APARTMENT in a couple weeks.  woohoo!

Family and Civic Engagement Plans

Do you know a teacher/administrator in a school district in Central Ohio that are looking for ways to fulfill the school's Family and Civic Engagement Plan requirements?  

Here is an over of what the House Bill says for schools:

HB 1 establishes family and civic engagement requirements for Ohio’s schools, families and communities. Together, schools, families and communities work to ensure all children have supports needed to graduate from high school prepared for additional educational experiences, the workforce and a healthy life style. Ohio’s goal is to have high-performing family and civic engagement teams and county family and children first councils that effectively and systematically connect all children, youth and families in need to school and community-based services and programs.

The Benefit Bank is actually a perfect tool for schools to use to support their students and families.  Coordinators don't even have to create a work plan for implementation, as Benefit Bank administrators already created a Template based on District Comprehensive Continuous Improvement Plan (CCIP) that your school can use.

You can check out this webinar the Ohio Department of Education posted about the Benefit Bank as a suggestion for school districts: 

http://education.ohio.gov/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?Page=3&TopicRelationID=428&Content=88803

It's Here

Today is my first time leading the 6 hour training. I think I'm going to throw up. That is all.

Visualization!

I love data visualization and using media/art to understand concepts. Check out this Wordle (word cloud) I created from OASHF's About Us webpage:

Training Oberservation

Can't...stuff...more....information...into my head. I am sitting in my second training observation today, as preparation to take the reins and train my very own group of fledgling OBB counselors next week. Please keep in mind, this is a 6 hour training. Six. Hours. I currently have 8 pages of supplemental notes to help me through the guidebook. Jessica Mays, the regional coordinator for Southeast Ohio is actually facilitating this training in our Direct Service Office in downtown Columbus. I am mainly writing down her jokes to use in my trainings, as I am not witty, and these trainings have a tendency to put people to sleep. (I'm not kidding, at every training I have been to at least one person is conked out, unconscious, or at least nodding heavily for a couple of minutes. Fun to watch.) So I need entertaining material. What do you guys think of this one Jessica used?
“Has anyone ever had to do the FAFSA? Scale of 1-10, how awesome was it? I found it to be about minus 3, personally”

I promise, it's funny in person.

It also illustrates the importance of the Benefit Bank. Every time I learn more about all the benefits, how you apply for them and who administers them, it seems more daunting for people who need them. The Benefit Bank helps people apply so they have access to federal money to spend HERE IN OHIO to boost local economies. Beware, I am becoming a walking billboard for OBB. Only because it's so fantastic!