Become an Ohio Benefit Bank Site
Every year, eligible Ohioans lose $1.6 billion dollars in aid. The Ohio Benefit Bank helps connect eligible low to middle income individuals to benefits and tax credits, helping those in need and bringing millions of dollars into the state. The Benefit Bank is projected to generate 70 million dollars worth of economic activity in 2009. Click here to visit the Web site or download the OBB info sheet to learn more.
Become a Summer Food Service Site
During the school year, one million children in Ohio receive a free or reduced price lunch. During the summer, only six percent of these children receive free meals. The USDA’s Summer Food Service Program helps to make sure that those students receive lunch during the summer as well. The program , which is federally funded and administered by the Ohio Department of Education, provides free, nutritious meals to low-income children through sponsoring organizations, bridging the gap between school years when free and reduced price lunches are not available. Click here to visit the Web site or download the SFSP fact sheet to learn more.
Support a Food Pantry
Every year, millions of Ohioans rely on food pantries and soup kitchens to help feed their families. 47 percent of these individuals do not know how they would feed their families without food pantry assistance. Organizations can fight hunger in Ohio by having ongoing food drives, donating monetarily, or volunteering on a regular basis to the food pantries and soup kitchens that help sustain Ohioans in poverty. Please visit the oashf.org to learn more.
Recruit Foster Care and/or Adoptive Parents
Every day, 17,000 children in Ohio call an out-of-home placement setting home. One in ten of these children will be placed in over six residential settings before finding a permanent home. Member-based groups can help connect these children to loving and stable foster and adoptive families by recruiting within their own ranks. Click for more info on adoption or foster care.
Recruit Corrections and Reentry Volunteers
One in five inmates released in Ohio will return to prison for a new crime. To make sure that “re-entry means going home to stay,” the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and the Department of Youth Services seek volunteers to provide support and re-entry services to help ex-offenders reintegrate into society. Click to visit the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction or Department of Youth Services Web site.
Educate your Community
In an increasingly complex economy, consumers must have sufficient knowledge and skills to make wise choices with their money. While the current economy stresses the importance of using money wisely, financial education is always critical. In order to ensure that Ohioans are making the best decisions with their money, the Ohio Treasurer’s Office offers training for community groups interested in starting a financial education program in their communities.The Treasurer’s Office’s has developed the “Train the Trainer” course for organization leaders to lead program sessions for their communities. Click here for more info.
In 2008, Ohioans lost over $3.7 million to fraudulent businesses. Empower your community to recognize and avoid scams and fully understand their consumer rights by attending a training offered by the Attorney General’s office. Click here for workshop topics. Contact GOFBCI for more information.
Ohio averages 3 disasters annually and for those involved it can take up to two years to recover. Are you prepared for when disaster strikes? For every dollar spent on disaster preparedness, an average of seven dollars are saved during recovery. Educate your community on how to be prepared for a flood, a fire, or other disasters with Ohio Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD). For additional information on preparedness please click here.
Recruit Mentors For Youth
In the United States, over 14 million young people are in need of a mentoring relationship. Based on Ohio’s population, there are likely half a million vulnerable youth in Ohio alone. Volunteering as a mentor will change a child’s life. Our statewide network of mentoring organizations can connect you with children in need of guidance and a caring positive role model. To see how important mentoring is, Click here.
Click here to download a pledge form.
Addtional Volunteer Opportunities
Ohio Community Service Council
ServeOhio is the home of the Ohio Community Service Council, Ohio's State Agency for Community Service & Volunteerism!
Visit http://www.serveohio.org/ to find links to volunteer opportunities throughout Ohio including ... AmeriCorps - VISTA - Senior Corps (RSVP/Foster Grandparents/Senior Companions) Ohio Citizen Corps and Make A Difference Day Ohio.