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4th annual Re-entry Day, Marion Ohio Correctional Institution inmates use The Benefit Bank to explore the options they have for seeking assistance when they're released. Marion.com
Anti-hunger advocate Joel Berg commends the efforts of The Ohio Benefit Bank in The Columbus Dispatch Dispatch.com
Berg estimates it would cost $24 billion a year to eliminate hunger. That's how much is needed to serve the 36 million Americans that the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates can't afford enough food.
President Obama's task force points to The Benefit Bank as an example to follow.
Economic Recovery and Fighting Poverty Task Force focuses on identifying strategies for reducing domestic poverty and engaging local faith-based and community organizations to carry out federal economic recovery programs.
The task force has selected the following focus areas: reviewing laws and regulations to suggest improvements to federal programs for the poor and improving eligible Americans' access to government benefits.
For example, the task force is considering recommending programs modeled after The Benefit Bank, a centralized, Web-based program that serves as a "one-stop-shop" resource for people with low and moderate-level incomes to apply for and receive food stamps, Medicaid and tax credits.
Read more about this on the Pew Forum web site.
http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=432
Program Helps With Free Tax Preparation
 :Channel 4 Interview
By Denise Yost
Managing Editor, nbc4i.com
Published: January 26, 2009
COLUMBUS, Ohio—The economy is forcing many who never thought they would need assistance scrambling for help.
Groups making up Ohio Benefit Bank are able to link consumers with the right service—even tax preparation, NBC 4‘s Marcus Thorpe reported.
Ohio Benefit Bank is a web-based counselor assisted program.
“Individuals trust that in their church communities, they’ve volunteered or got services. We build on that,“ said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, of Ohio Benefit Bank.
The program helps consumers with services from food and shelter to tax help.
Anamaria Crockett is a single mom. She did the free on-line service last year at OhioFilesFree.com. This year, it’s a face-to-face meeting to try and squeeze the most from her refund.
“It’s tight—really tight. I need work done on my car and help with bills,“ she said.
With a shrinking economy tightening budgets, every dollar counts. For example, if you get $3,200 back from your taxes, fees from typical programs would bring that number down. The Ohio Benefit Bank charges no fees for those who qualify for the program.
The program has 35 local offices helping with tax preparation.
“They tell us, ‘What you were able to do allowed me to pay debt or get a car,‘“ Fugitt said.
The Ohio Benefit Bank is offering a free tax filing day for those who qualify on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at their offices at 51 North High Street, Suite 150.
Call their offices at 614-221-4336 or 800-648-1176 to schedule an appointment.
UNC Chapel Hill master's of public health candidates recommend The Benefit Bank to Durham Board of Social Services to get more residents enrolled in SNAP.
Benefit Bank can help with aid issues
Area residents can't withdraw money from the Benefit Bank, but they can find out whether they're eligible for monetary benefits such as food stamps, health care coverage, home energy help, prescription assistance, child care aid or tax credits.
Ohio Benefits Bank sees needs in eastern end
Tuesday was the first time for the benefits bank to come to the Chesapeake area to help residents in the application process for such programs as Medicaid, food stamps and energy assistance and the four counselors who came to county had a busy day.
Each had four appointments an hour. In fact by the afternoon, the counselors were no longer able to take walk-ins because the demand for the service was so great.
Ohio leads in linking to government aid
A woman stands on the brink of financial disaster when she finds The Ohio Benefit Bank
State boosts funds for heating aid, raises eligibility ceiling.
A cold winter could break the bank for the average family; for a low-income family, it could be devastating. That's why Gov. Rendell's announcement yesterday that the state will be offering extra heating help was welcome indeed. This year, $280 million is earmarked - and we mean that in a good way - for the the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
The money is used to provide one-time grants to help eligible homeowners keep warm; it also provides for crisis grants and for weatherization programs. This year's money is a big jump from last year's allocation of $180 million, and there are other changes that make this welcome news. For one thing, the cash grant will increase from $100 to $300, and crisis grants have been expanded from $300 to $800.
Ohio Benefit Bank: Senior Citizens' New Services
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has announced that the Ohio Benefit Bank (OBB) is offering online services to connect Ohioans with economic stimulus payments and Ohio's Best RX, Golden Buckeye and Senior Community Service Employment programs.
"The addition of these new Benefit Bank services will help Ohioans, especially senior citizens, veterans and disabled members of our community, who are most likely to be on a fixed income," Strickland said in a news release.
State Leaders Discuss Social Mobility Issues in Chicago
from Move Up | www.movingupusa.org
This June, over 300 state and local elected officials from 45 states gathered in Chicago for the DLC’s annual National Conversation. The most dynamic portion of the weekend-long event centered on the breakout sessions, which allowed elected officials to discuss and share ideas about the most pressing issues facing our country and party.
Throughout the month of August, the DLC will be releasing audio from the breakouts. I will post the sessions that are relevant to social mobility and poverty reduction. Today, I link to two breakouts, one about social mobility and one about public school choice. Below you will find descriptions of the sessions including speakers and links to the audio.
Social Mobility: Lifting all Americans out of Poverty and Hunger
This session featured Joel Berg, former USDA Coordinator of Community Food Security and author of the upcoming book All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America?; José Cerda, vice president of communication and public policy at the Illinois Facilities Fund; Ralph Gildehaus, director of the Ohio Benefit Bank in Gov. Ted Strickland’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives; and Katie Campbell, policy analyst at the Progressive Policy Institute. The discussion focused on how state and local leaders can connect low-income Americans to all of the public benefits for which they qualify, and how a new poverty discussion coupled with smart policies can create a system of social mobility for all Americans.
Click here to listen and here to download.
Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports that the IRS is reminding Arkansas residents to file for their Economic Stimulus Payments. According to the IRS, more than 5. 6 million Americans are eligible for $ 1. 7 billion. Read the full story here.
Arkansas Families Struggling In Slow Economy, but The Benefit Bank is on a mission to bring hope, connecting communities to resources, and making a difference in the lives of Arkansans.
Deadline Extension for Property Tax/rent Rebate Program
Seniors and disabled residents applying for Pennsylvania's Tax/Rent Rebate Program now have until the end of the year to take action thanks to a deadline extension by Governor Ed Rendell.
The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older.
Read More Here
Leave No Money Behind
This was Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter's announcement at a May 13th press conference where he presented a coalition of agencies, including The Benefit Bank, that stand ready to help people file for their Economic Stimulus Payment.
Standing by the mayor to present their servcies to the press: |
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| Mayor's Commission on Aging, Mayor's Commission on People with Disabilities, IRS, Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, Polish American Social Services, CARIE, Senior Law Center, The Benefits Bank, New Courtland elder Servcies, Campaign for Working Families |
As Arkansas rises to stem the tide of loses in benefits
Fox News covers the momentum
Recognizing that millions of dollars in benefits go unclaimed every year, a partnership between the State of Arkansas and Arkansas Interfaith Conference, has launched the Benefit Bank of Arkansas.
Read the whole story by Jennifer Akers of Fox News here.
The Ohio Benefit Bank has connected millions of dollars in assistance to people in need
Public service announcements featuring Ohio's Governor, Ted Strickland, in support of the Ohio Benefit Bank as a convenient, community-based program that helps people gain access to government programs targeted to benefit them.
Watch the public service announcement here |
