Community Action Keeps Kids Warm

For the second consecutive year, Jackson-Vinton County Community Action, Inc. (JVCAI) has provided hundreds of brand new coats to low-income children to keep them warm. The program, which was made possible by the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in partnership with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies (OACAA), has already provided 290 coats to area children with more still available.

The coats are made in the USA and provided by Operation Warm.  They are free to children eligible
for TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). Thanks to generous donations from Kiwanis, JVCAI staff, Head Start, The Columbus Crew SC and other members of the community, children received not only new coats but also received hats, scarves and gloves. Kimberly Hettle, Brian Conrad and Allison Glasgow of the Governor’s Office, along with community volunteers and JVCAI staff members, worked together to sort, load, transport and unload the many boxes and bags at the distribution events in Jackson and Vinton counties.

This program represents just one of the ways Community Action partners with the local community and others to leverage funds and provide the necessary supports for low-income families to keep them safe and move toward self-sufficiency. Families served with coats, hats and gloves for their children are now able to focus their limited resources on providing other necessary living expenses knowing their families are able to face the cold Ohio winter.