Community Action Helps Our Youth

When Chanda, a mother of three, left her husband, she was not sure what to do. A friend told her about the Head Start pre-school program at Hancock Hardin Wyandot Putnam (HHWP) Community Action Commission. “[She told me] how great it was, how welcoming they felt, and how wonderful the teachers were,” Chanda said. It made her decide she wanted that for her children. After doing some research, she realized that while she couldn’t afford other pre-school opportunities for her children, her income qualified her for the Head Start program at HHWP.

Community Action Helps People Keep their Earned Income

Martha called the Pickaway County Community Action Organization (PICCA) for an appointment with their tax clinic with an unusual story. It was November and she had not yet filed her previous year’s tax forms. She believed she owed taxes and had requested an extension before the April 15 deadline. Being elderly and, in her own words, “slightly forgetful,” she forgot to file her taxes within the time allotted for an extension. Having recently moved to Pickaway County, Martha was having trouble keeping up with her rent and utilities. When she realized in November she hadn’t filed her taxes, she feared she would lose her house because of the money she owed and called PICCA for help.

Community Action Helps Our Most Vulnerable Citizens

A hearing-impaired and mentally challenged woman went to Ohio Heartland Community Action Commission needing assistance with her electric and fuel oil. Her electric was due to be shut off the following day and she had no fuel oil left. While the client could receive assistance through the emergency Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), specific paperwork is needed to participate in the program. After reviewing her paperwork, it was clear that additional information was needed and she’d need to come back the following day. When the Ohio Heartland intake worker brought her back into her cubical to explain this she realized the client’s challenges and went the extra mile to help her.

Community Action Helps People Get Back on their Feet

All too often people fall on hard times to no fault of their own and need the assistance of friends, family, and the community to help pick them back up. Community Action has helped such individuals in that way for 50 years.