Job Fair brings in more than 500 people looking for work

More than 500 people attended the Area 14 One Stop Job, Career and Information Fair in Athens on April 21, and several of the job seekers talked about how the country’s economic problems have hurt their job prospects.

Robert Boggs of Athens explained that he currently works in manufacturing, but the work is only part-time and the hours and pay vary greatly. Business has been slow lately for the company he works for, so his hours and pay have been reduced.

“The economy is down,” Boggs said. He would like to work full-time in a factory, but there aren't many of those jobs in the region. He applied for a few jobs with factories at the Job Fair, and said he was pleased with the different employers he was able to visit. Boggs explained that he does not want to work in a service industry job that deals with the public, but he has applied for a few of these jobs recently because he needs the work.

“I’d rather just put my head down and work all day making things,” Boggs said. It has been discouraging to not be able to find a full-time job, and it has been hard on him financially, too.

“It’s pretty rough,” Boggs said. “I’m about ready to move back to the city.” He used to live and work in Chicago, but moved to Athens to help take care of a sick relative. He likes living here, but will have to move soon if he can’t find steady work.

Boggs is just one of many people at the Job Fair who talked about how they lost their jobs because of layoffs, health problems or other reasons, or how they have had trouble finding work after graduating from high school or college. Over the next week, we will post additional comments from several of these people.

Sarah Williams represented one employer at the Job Fair, as she worked in the booth for Bellisio Foods of Jackson. Bellisio Foods is currently hiring for several different positions working in the company’s plant, and Williams said she talked with many different people who were looking for work at the job fair. She was pleased that she was able to talk to so many potential employees, and said the Athens job fair is a very good event.

“It is so organized,” Johnson said.

Laurel Lindamood and Lindsay Mayle represented Diagnostic Hybrids, Inc., of Athens at the Job Fair, and they also said it was a good opportunity to talk to a large number of potential employees. At the 2009 job fair, their company had open positions that they were able to talk to area residents about, but this year they did not have any open positions. Lindamood and Mayle did talk to several people who are interested in working for the company when positions do come open, and they were able to explain more about the work the company does. They also told people to watch their Web site, http://www.dhiusa.com/about_us/careers/ for information on job openings and how to apply.

Earning her GED, planning for college and building a better life for her daughter

Click here to read about Erica, an Athens County resident who recently earned her GED and is now planning for college and for a career. She is a single mother who has a great attitude and is working hard to build a better life for her daughter.

Census forms to be sent out in March

All U.S. residents should receive their 2010 U.S. Census forms in March. In Athens County, some residents in the Glouster and Coolville areas will receive their forms in the first week of March, while the rest of the county residents will receive theirs in mid-March. Also in March, the U.S. Census Bureau will be setting up locations in Athens County where people can go to ask questions about the Census and receive additional forms. For more information on these locations, the forms all U.S. residents should receive or the importance of the upcoming U.S. Census count, click here. To log onto the U.S. Census Bureau's Web site for information on the 2010 Census Count, click here.

Columnist looks at how the national recession is affecting the poor

New York Times Columnist Bob Herbert wrote an outstanding column recently that points out that while politicians and the national media focus on how the national recession is affecting the upper and middle classes, the poorest Americans are the ones who have been hit hardest. Click here to read the column.

Columnist looks at how the poor are viewed in America

Syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts, Jr., wrote an outstanding column recently discussing issues such as why no one speaks out for the poor and how people living in poverty are often powerless and misunderstood. Click here to read the column on the Miami Herald Web site.

Census Road Tour Stops in Athens County

The 2010 Census Road Tour stopped in Athens County recently to promote the April 1 U.S. Census Count and to provide information for people who are interested in working for the U.S. Census Bureau. The Road Tour is traveling around the country spreading the message about how important it is to be counted and how filling out your Census form helps your local community.

In Athens County, the Road Tour stopped at Ohio University and Hocking College on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

Click here to read an article from The Athens NEWS about the Census Road Tour.

Click here to read the Athens MidDay article and watch one interview about the Census Road Tour. (Click on the link on the right side of the Athens MidDay page, or scroll down to see the article).

Click here to read the news release about the event.

A few more comments from people at the Thanksgiving lunch at the Lottridge Community Center

Gordon Bolin often attends the Wednesday lunches at the center, as he enjoys the meal and the chance to visit with neighbors.

His wife works and he receives Social Security, and they are able pay their bills each month. Money is tight, though, as their income is not great and they also help to support family members living overseas. Bolin grows food for his family in his garden every year, and he also shares much of his produce with others at the weekly meals in Lottridge.

Linda Congrove and her husband live in Trimble, but drive over to Lottridge each week to volunteer. She helps prepare and serve the free lunch, while he helps out at the food pantry.

“Some of the people here, it might be the only meal they get all week, other than opening a can of beans,” Congrove said. Some people at the meals are just lonely and need someone to talk to, she added. Congrove likes to volunteer at the center because everyone is always friendly, and she knows that a lot of people are facing hard times and need a little help.

Lisa Roberts, director of the Friends and Neighbors Community Choice Food Center, said that the food pantry sees more and more people who need help every week. She also runs food pantries in Torch and Racine, and said those sites are also seeing an increase in numbers.

At Racine, for example, the average number of people served over the last few months has climbed to about 100 families each week. The holidays and the cold weather will cause that number to continue to increase, Roberts said. The week before Thanksgiving, for example, the Racine center served 165 families.

In order to keep up with the increase in demand, the Friends and Neighbors Community Choice Food Center is looking for donations to help these families in need. The center is also looking for donations of Christmas presents that will be handed out to low-income families to give to their children this year.

For more information on the Friends and Neighbors Community Choice Food Center or to donate gifts to the center, call 740-667-0684.

Holidays can be tough for many families

The holiday season can be a very hard time for families who are struggling to get by, as Christmas presents and special dinners often result in more bills that they can’t afford to pay.

Local organizations such as the Friends and Neighbors Community Choice Food Center in Lottridge are stepping in to help these families, though, and are trying to bring them some holiday cheer.

On Wednesday, Nov. 25, the Lottridge center held a special Thanksgiving free meal along with its food box distribution. More than 150 people enjoyed the Thanksgiving lunch, and more than 50 families were able to pick up food boxes at the pantry that day.

Coolville residents Valerie Magill and Jason Simms were among those at the center for the Thanksgiving meal. Magill also volunteered to work at the food pantry for the day.

“I like helping people,” Magill said. She formerly worked as a nurse, but had to stop working in that field after she sustained a serious back injury.

“I have been off of work for a year,” she said. Her back has gotten better, but her doctor does not want her to go back to the type of work she used to do because it would most likely cause another injury. She also has other health problems relating to her battle with cancer four years ago and other health issues.

Currently, she receives Ohio Works First cash assistance and volunteers at the food pantry for the work hours she has to complete in order to receive the assistance.

Simms, meanwhile, has his own serious health problems stemming from a car accident that he was in when he was 10 years old. He was in a coma for 10 days after the accident, and his brain stem was injured. He has had health problems ever since the accident, and is unable to work.
Magill and Simms have four kids between them, and they survive on the monthly income of $455 she receives in cash assistance and $700 he receives from Social Security.

“We struggle to get by,” Magill said. They pay $510 per month in rent, and have very little money to pay all of their expenses.

“My self-esteem, it’s been down,” Magill added. She would like to work a full-time job again and has been looking for work. Her car needs repaired, though, and the Athens County Job and Family Services Prevention, Retention and Contingency (PRC) program that used to pay for car repairs for people who needed their vehicles for work is no longer operating. That program was eliminated earlier this year due to cuts in state funding.

Magill and Simms are not sure how they will pay for Christmas presents for the children or pay for other holiday and winter expenses. But they are thankful for everything they do have and for the programs such as the one at Lottridge that provide assistance. They are also hopeful that things will improve for them soon.

Why is "Welfare" a dirty word?

Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines the word “welfare” as a noun as the state of doing well, especially in respect to good fortune, happiness, well-being, or prosperity. “Welfare” is defined as an adjective as: (1) of, relating to, or concerned with welfare and especially with improvement of the welfare of disadvantaged social groups, and (2) receiving public welfare benefits.

Being concerned about improving someone’s welfare, especially a child’s or that of someone who is disabled or elderly would seem to be a good public policy. So why then do our elected officials avoid characterizing any attempt to improve someone’s “good fortune, happiness, well-being, or prosperity” as “welfare”? Why is it that “welfare” is so despised in the context of improving the welfare of disadvantaged social groups?

Is it fear? Fear seems to be behind many attempts to stereotype groups of people. Aren't we stereotyping poor people when we demonize all of them as cheats or undeserving? Do we stereotype poor people so that we can dehumanize and ignore them? Are we afraid of the 6.3 million children living in extreme poverty in the United States?

Is it selfishness? The federal government uses tax dollars to provide a subsidy of $250 billion per year to those employed people still lucky enough to receive employer subsidized health insurance. The federal government also uses an additional $80 billion tax dollars per year to provide subsidies to homeowners who deduct mortgage interest. According to Webster’s, these benefits are “welfare.” These welfare benefits alone, and there are many others, amount to 20 times the welfare subsidy provided to the poorest families among us. Are we afraid that we might have to share?

At some point, it was decided that it was good public policy to provide more than $320 billion per year in welfare benefits to employed people with subsidized health insurance who own homes with mortgages up to $1 million dollars, in order to improve their “good fortune, happiness, well-being, or prosperity.” Wouldn't it also be good public policy to improve the welfare of those less fortunate?

We must acknowledge that “welfare” is not a dirty word, and that it is provided in many forms to many different recipients. We need to refocus our assistance toward the poorest of the poor first.

By Gregg Oakley
Athens County Job and Family Services Deputy Director

Columbus Dispatch series examines how state budget cuts have hurt Ohio families

The Columbus Dispatch recently published an outstanding series of articles on how state budget cuts have hurt Ohio families living in poverty.

Click here for a link to the page on the Columbus Dispatch Web site for information on the series of articles, as well as links to the articles and a video report on one story. We have also saved each of the articles as PDF files, and you can click on the following links for these articles:

Click here for the short article that introduces the series. It has information on all of the subjects examined in the series.
Click here for an article on how budget cuts are affecting the most vulnerable Ohio residents. This article looks in particular at an Athens County family hit hard by the country's economic problems.
Click here for an article on how families in Ohio are digging the graves for their deceased family members and friends in order to save money on funeral expenses. This article also looks in particular at an Athens County family.
Click here for an article on how budget cuts are hurting programs that help the homeless.
Click here for an article examining how budget cuts have reduced the number of after-school programs for children, and how this is hurting children in Ohio.
Click here for an article on how budget cuts are reducing and in some cases wiping out programs to help and protect the elderly.
Click here for an article on how budget cuts are hurting programs designed to help the mentally ill.