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The Importance Of Resources In Serving The Homeless
By Albert Wagner, Ohio City Power Operations
A
recent article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer December 5, 2012, “Theft Of Van Services Hits Emergency Shelter”, helps accentuate how regularly providing services to Cleveland, Ohio's
homeless relies on invaluable assistance from a number of people.
It
also implies how problematic this can be for similar agencies in the region to
perform the same kind of civic services. As someone who has assisted a
local agency, Ohio City Power, in helping the homeless and jobless, I have seen
how services could not have been provided without the helping hand of many
others.
Transportation Resources Critical To Life-Work Functions
In
the above-mentioned article the agency transports people in a 15 passenger van
to various places, assisting them in things such as a getting children to
school, going to interviews and life skills training and long-term housing.
The Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cleveland - Tremont Family Center, previously known as the Interfaith Service Network, is targeted to projects helping homeless parents and getting them back on their feet. Recently the van they use was stolen and, needless to say, has caused a lot of problems with continuing to provide these services. Eight families move each month and receive help from 80 churches and synagogues altogether.
The Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cleveland - Tremont Family Center, previously known as the Interfaith Service Network, is targeted to projects helping homeless parents and getting them back on their feet. Recently the van they use was stolen and, needless to say, has caused a lot of problems with continuing to provide these services. Eight families move each month and receive help from 80 churches and synagogues altogether.
Organization Connectivity For Collaboration and Capacity Building
Ohio City Power, the other group mentioned above, also gets help from a number of groups. These include The Federated Church, Employment Connection, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Towards Employment. Without the help of these wonderful contacts, the agency would not be able to provide the services it has. Ohio City Power, however, provides bus fare for clients to get to job training, orientation and employment. They did not lose a van, but they rely heavily on participation and people contributing.
The
losing of a van, as in the example above, can devastate a homeless agency to
the point it can no longer provide the needed services. To proactively
counteract this result Ohio City Power has fund-raisers, with the help of
numerous local people and agencies.
Craft Sales Provide Cash and Program Service Support
Things sold for this purpose include clothing (such as tie-dye shirts and socks), handcrafted chocolate candy and even fly-fishing lures. There are also small assembly projects on an order basis.
Some
participants also help. A recent client actually turned down the agency’s
assistance for bus fare assistance and lunch assistance! The agency tries
to give clients the tools they need in getting and retaining a job. This
also includes clothing assistance.
Faith-Based Economic Development Restores Vibrant Communities
Faith-Based Economic Development Restores Vibrant Communities
The
community benefits as people go back into the workforce. They benefit
from things such as strengthened families, increased tax base for services,
getting citizens off welfare rolls, possibly reducing crime and inspiring
others.
More
information can be found at Family Promise of Greater Cleveland and Ohio City Power.
- Albert Wagner, Ohio City Power Operations
- Albert Wagner, Ohio City Power Operations
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- Betsey Merkel, Ohio City Power Communications
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Copyright
2012 Ohio City Power. Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution-Noncommercial-No
Derivative Works. Ohio City Power, Ohio City Power @ St. Paul's
Community Church, 4427 Franklin Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44113. Phone: 1-440-289-1657 Web: www.ohiocitypower.net
- Betsey Merkel, Ohio City Power Communications
