Washington-Morgan Community Action.
Resources, referrals, and financial support may be available from the Community Action Program of Washington-Morgan Counties of Ohio. This non-profit has as its mission the goal of providing resources and social services to families and individuals in need. There are dozens of services available through this organization in the areas of education, employment and job training, family assistance, housing support, heating assistance, and senior services.
Washington and Morgan County housing programs
The Assisted Housing Program may be able to provide low cost and safe housing to families that include individuals with mental or physical disabilities. The Program is offered in partnership with the groups such as the Board of Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities in Morgan County as well as the Board of Developmental Disabilities in Washington County.
Another component is the Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP). Both the City of Marietta Ohio as well as the Washington County Commissioners run this for low- and moderate-income families living in Washington County. For those that qualify, CHIP program provides them with emergency home repair, down payment assistance, and rehabilitation or modifications of their home. Call (740) 373-7671.
Rental assistance from the Housing Crisis Response Program, or HCRP, helps tenants who are on the brink of homelessness or evictions. Funds can be issued to help eligible clients maintain pay the rent and keep the housing that they are currently residing in. Funds can even pay the security deposit so they can move into more stable and affordable housing. The goal of this HCRP program is to end future and current homelessness and help clients move towards housing security. People apply need to be currently homeless or facing eviction or foreclosure. It is also offered as a last resort in Washington or Morgan County Ohio.
Low income housing is available as the result of Rental Property Development. The non-profit Washington-Morgan Community Action program created housing for qualified low-income families. Dozens of units and apartments may be available.
The Section 8 HUD Tenant Based Assistance Program offers vouchers to pay for housing costs, rent, and utilities. The City of Marietta Ohio acts as the Public Housing Agency (PHA) for this housing program. It assures that very low-income residents are given the ability to move into safe and affordable housing.
Educational services
A key goal of the Early Head Start program is to enhance the development (including physical, social, emotional, language, and cognitive) of very young children from low income families. The government funded program can promote healthy family functioning and much more. Those that “graduate” from it will usually progress to Head Start, per below.
Each child that is enrolled is treated as the individual that they are. Early Head Start is for children ages 6 weeks to 3 years of age and it provides them with services including a preventative health care program that tracks your child’s progress including nutrition, educational levels and growth.
In addition to that, Early Head Start from Washington Morgan Community Action offers a full pre-natal program that provides income qualified pregnant women with various forms of assistance including tracking the development of you and your baby, transportation, a ride to the doctor's office, referrals, and helping the women prepare for birth. The program is flexible in that Early Head Start is available at a local center or in your own home.
Head Start is similar to above. It as well is a free preschool program for eligible families with children ages 3 through 5, so it is for older children. It specializes in the educational and social development of children from low income families in Ohio. The number one goal is to prepare children for kindergarten and future growth. The curriculum offered to children takes into account the importance of social skills, group-work and it also focuses on the necessary basic educational skills.
The realted Head Start Home Base involves parents as educators and includes regular home visits by a teacher and/or an assigned home visitor. This individual will work with families and support the parents in meeting the needs of children. The Head Start Home Base option is also available from the community action agency and is for families located anywhere in Washington or Morgan counties Ohio.
Another benefit of Head Start is that local transportation is provided where available. The program also includes a free breakfast or lunch and a snack. Both of the programs care for children with disabilities.
Head Start Locations in the region are as follows.
Belpre Head Start, 2014 Rockland Ave., Belpre, Ohio 45714, call (740) 423-7120
Chesterhill Head Start, Little Red Schoolhouse, 1757 Mills Street, PO Box 133, Chesterhill, OH 43728, call (740) 554-5001
Malta, Play and Learn, 320 Main Street, Malta, OH, Malta OH 43758, (740) 962-3792
The Jane Edwards Head Start Center, 205 Phillips Street, Marietta, OH 45750, (740) 373-6016
The Washington County Children's Learning Center at Ewing School, 1701 Colegate Drive, Marietta, Ohio 45750, call 740-373-3781
New Matamoras Home Based Care, 501 Main Street, New Matamoras, Ohio 45767, (740) 865-3814
Energy and heating bill assistance
EPP, or the Electrical Partnership Program, is for AEP customers who are also on the PIPP (Percentage of Income Plan Plus) or that are receiving help from HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program). If you qualify, the Electrical Partnership Program will assist families in lowering their utility bills and saving money. The Community Action Program of Washington-Morgan Counties works with companies such as American Electric Power (AEP) and others to provide the EPP service.
An energy auditor from the community action agency audit your home and provide suggestions on how to reduce the amount of electrical usage. The household may get free new CFL light bulbs and/or refrigerators or freezers will be installed. For those that qualify they may save a couple hundred dollars per year on their bills. Please call 740-373-7671 for more details.
Also save money from the Home Weatherization Assistance Program. This will help families and homeowners reduce their total heating and cooling costs by increasing the efficiency of their energy usage. So it is similar to EPP in that capacity. Contractors will install, for free, extra insulation, caulking and weather stripping and/or take other measures to reduce the family's total heating and cooling bills. (740) 373-7671.
Home Energy Assistance Program applications are processed by the Washington-Morgan Community Action Agency. The utility bill program can help low income and struggling families meet the high costs of home heating during the winter months. Funds for HEAP come from the State of Ohio and the federal government.
The Winter and also Summer Crisis Programs, known as WCP and SCP respectively, provides emergency assistance to eligible families to offset the high costs associated with running furnaces or air conditioning units. Aid is offered during the cold winter and also hot summer weather.
Another benefit of the Winter Crisis Program is it can prevent the disconnection of heating utilities or even restore your service if applicable. The Ohio WCP program can also pay for an emergency delivery of bulk fuel or heating oil when the supply is down to 10 days or less. This is only offered once per year at most for those that qualify.
Community Action Program of Washington-Morgan Employment and Training Services
There are three different types of employment and training services. The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program is for anyone from the region that is needing assistance finding work. The second option is the Senior Aide / Title V Program which is for those over the age of 55 who need training and work experience to obtain a job. The Workforce Investment Act for Young Adults is yet a third component.
The programs in general provide for a number of needs. It includes employment opportunities, career counseling as well as training for the general population including anyone who has a barrier that makes it especially difficult for him or her to find work in the state of Ohio.
Self-service, or sometimes called core services, are provided to everyone over the age of 18. Core services include advice and classes on learning to use the Internet to search for jobs, providing information about training programs in the area, as well as information about local employers and the labor market in general.
If you are truly struggling and are an individual that is having specific problems that may cause you extreme difficulty in finding employment, then you may be considered for more intense services such as case management and training from a specialist.
There is also a federal government funded WIA youth program for teens and young adults ages 14 through 21. This Washington-Morgan Community Action program is offered both in school and out of school. Participants of the youth program have access to many types of mentoring, employment training, leadership development, tutorials, decision-making support, supportive services and related assistance.
Senior Aide / Title V Program provides both extensive work experience and on the job training. In a perfect world this would lead to a full time job with benefits in the community for low-income individuals over the age of 55.
In this Title V program, participants will receive up 20 hours of work in community service or at a local non-profit organization. This helps people re-enter the local workforce or update skills in order to obtain better and higher paying jobs. In some cases grants from this program can pay for occupational skill training. In addition to all of that, the WIA Senior Aide Program/Title V provides case management and staff from Washington-Morgan Community Action or a local job center work with individuals to remove barriers to employment.
Emergency aid and support
The Community Action Program of Washington-Morgan Counties offers a number of financial and emergency assistance programs to assist families in times of need. Such programs include housing nutritional advice, free food, and other support. Clients can get access to needed services through one location, that being the non-profit.
Outreach from the Community Action Program of Washington-Morgan Counties is available. Staff are able to work closely with working poor and low-income families because of the federally funded a Community Services Block Grant. The non-profit works with qualified families to help meet immediate needs and people move them towards self-sufficiency. The family’s long term needs are also assessed to develop a service plan for them.
Get information on the Ohio Benefit Bank. This statewide program will allow unemployed and struggling clients to see which public assistance programs and government benefits they may be eligible for. This benefit banks stops the individual of having to travel to many other offices or social service organizations. The following programs are available for application, including Health Insurance Coverage, Child Care Subsidy, Federal & State Tax Filing, Home Energy Assistance Program, and also SNAP Food Stamps.
Secret Santa and holiday aid is available from the Washington-Morgan Community Action organization. The non-profit operates a free Secret Santa Program for children and infants. The Program matches families in need of Christmas gifts with generous residents, charities and businesses throughout the local county. Through this community donations and contributions of gifts and toys, Washington-Morgan Community Action is able to pass out clothes, toys, games, and food for children and even their families who would have gone without during the holidays. Call (740) 373-3745 for more details.
Food in Washington-Morgan Ohio
Several Nutrition Programs offered by the Community Action Program of Washington-Morgan Counties include free food, groceries and nutrition programs for children, infants, families, and elderly residents.
The Senior Food and Nutrition program include both congregate and free home delivered meals. While the main goal of the nutrition program is to care for and feed senior citizens, the program also elderly residents with so much more. The state of Ohio Meals on Wheels program delivers free meals to frail, sick, and homebound seniors. For many home delivered and congregate meal clients the nutrition program not only provides a fresh hot meal, but also the opportunity to socialize wit hfriends or the driver.
Congregate meal sites in Morgan County Ohio are open to anyone 60 years of age or older as well as spouses. Also note that anyone with disabilities that resides at home with and accompanies an older (60+) person is also eligible to use the sites. These free or low cost congregate meal sites are located throughout Washington and Morgan Counties as follows.
Beverly, John Dodge Senior Center, 218 4th Street, (740) 984-4475
Layman, Layman United Methodist Church, Brownrigg Road, telephone (740) 678-8597
Marietta, O'Neill Senior Citizens Center, Lower Level, 4th and Scammel Streets, (740) 373-3455
McConnelsville, Reicker Building, 155 E. Main Street, (740) 962-6696
New Matamoras, Carrol Senior Center, 606 Broadway Ave, call (740) 865-2448
The other main program for seniors and the disabled is Meals on Wheels, also often called Home delivered meals. These are available for anyone 60 years or older who is homebound. This can includes reasons such as sickness, illness, injured, incapacitating disability, or is otherwise isolated. An applicant to the program must be physically unable to obtain food, groceries or prepare meals. (740) 373-3745.
The federally funded Women, Infants, and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program, also known as WIC, is available to pregnant or breast-feeding women in the area. WIC can also be used for infants up to 1 year of age and to children up to the age of 5 years. To be eligible for assistance from the WIC program, one must live in Washington or Morgan County Ohio and be certified by a staff member as needing supplemental food. The needs to be from a health or nutritional risk.
Through the Washington-Morgan Community Action WIC program, eligible participants will receive education on nutrition, referral for health care, breastfeeding education and support, free formula, as well as supplemental foods such as eggs, eggs, milk, whole-grain foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as infant formula. Women also receive immunization screening and referral. The WIC program has three locations in the area.
517 Main Street, Belpre, OH 45714, (740) 423-6719
24 E Third Street, Malta, OH 43758, call (740) 962-5266
The third site is at 696 Wayne Street, Marietta, OH 45750, telephone (740) 374-8501
Senior Homemaker program arranged in-home services to the elderly and senior citizens in Washington County. The services will allow support qualified seniors who are at-risk of placement into a nursing home due to a emotional, medical or psychological impairment. The homemaker can assist with chores such as dusting, vacuuming, shopping, or laundry. Call (740) 373-3745.
Locations of the non-profit
If you need help or referrals, the Washington-Morgan Community Action Program has two locations:
218 Putnam Street, Marietta, OH 45750 (740) 373-3745
50 W. Third Street, PO Box 398, Malta, Ohio 43758 (740) 962-3827
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