Help still available
Even with changes in some utility companies’ payment plans that reduce the number of disconnection notices, the number of requests for heating assistance in December topped all other requests for the same period in the past, WSOS reports.

A total of 710 households were approved for assistance through the Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program (EHEAP) in December. The program is operated by WSOS in its four-county service area of Wood, Sandusky, Ottawa, and Seneca counties. The program started in November and in that month, assistance was approved for 662 households. EHEAP ends March 31.

Tony Lindenberger, basic needs specialist at WSOS, said the volume of calls have led staff to double up on appointments. The number of residents seeking assistance also means that some residents may not be seen until 28 days after their initial call for an appointment.

The income limit to receive assistance through the program remains at 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. This means that households with one person may earn no more than $21,660 or four-person households may have incomes of no more than $44,100.

EHEAP provides one-time assistance to income-eligible residents to help them maintain their heating source by paying some of their heating bills. These households receive up to $175 one time for electric and other utilities, and up to $600 for those who use propane and have less than a 10-day supply left in the tank.

Assistance with heating bills comes from EHEAP and regular HEAP. Regular HEAP also provides a one-time per heating season assistance with paying some heating bills. Applicants must file their applications themselves. WSOS has applications available and can assist applicants with the forms. Both EHEAP and HEAP operate until March 31.  Appointments are required to apply for assistance. Residents in Sandusky and Ottawa counties should call the Fremont office at 419-334-5126 to schedule an appointment. Those in Wood County should call the Tiffin office at 419-447-0084.

Hayes Center grant
The continuation of educational programming at the Hayes Presidential Center is more secure, thanks to a grant from William Randolph Hearst Foundation. Announcement of the $50,000 award was received in late 2010.

The Hayes Presidential Center sought funding from The Hearst Foundations, which include the William Randolph Hearst Foundation and the Hearst Foundation, Inc., to offset a 47 percent decrease in its funding from the State of Ohio.   “A major component of the Hayes Presidential Center’s vision statement is to promote the use of our rich resources by the general public, particularly through educational opportunities. The generosity of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation means that we will be able to continue to offer the quality programming for which we have come to be known,” said Hayes Presidential Center Executive Director Thomas Culbertson.

Hayes programs range from academic lectures and genealogy classes to living history events and musical performances. Many events are offered free of charge.

Home repair help
Residents of Ottawa County struggling to maintain and repair their homes may qualify for assistance through Ottawa County’s Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP), administered by WSOS Community Action Commission.

The program provides repair assistance for income-eligible homeowners in the following areas – foundation; electrical and plumbing repairs; window, furnace and roof replacements; insulation and siding repair. Assistance may also be available for foreclosure prevention counseling and possible rescue funds for mortgage payments to aid eligible homeowners facing foreclosure.

Low- and very-low income homeowners may qualify for up to $30,000 worth of repairs to be completed on their homes. Payment for rehabilitation is partially funded through a grant that is forgivable over a 10-year period and a deferred loan. The deferred loan has no interest and is repayable at the time of sell, transfer of title or change in occupancy.

For more information or to obtain an application, contact Sherry Evans at WSOS’s Housing Department at 419-639-2802 or 1-800-775-9767 or e-mail Sherry at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Sr. Prejean to speak
Owens Community College will welcome Sister Helen Prejean, author of “Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States,” Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mainstage Theatre at the Center for Fine and Performing Arts.

A Roman Catholic nun, Sr. Prejean joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille (now known as the Congregation of St. Joseph) in 1957 and received a bachelor’s degree in English and education from St. Mary’s Dominican College – New Orleans in 1962. In 1973, she earned a master’s degree in religious education from Saint Paul University. She has served as the Religious Education Director at St. Frances Cabrini Parish in New Orleans, the Formation Director for her religious community and has taught junior and senior high school students.

Sr. Prejean began her prison ministry in 1981 when became pen pals with Patrick Sonnier, a convicted killer who was sentenced to die in the electric chair of Louisiana’s Angola State Prison. Upon Sonnier’s request, Sr. Prejean repeatedly visited him as his spiritual advisor. She turned her experiences with the Louisiana execution process into a book that not only made the 1994 American Library Associates Notable Book List, but also was nominated for a 1993 Pulitzer Prize.

Tickets for the lecture presentation are $20 and all seats are reserved. To purchase tickets, visit www.owens.edu or call 567-661-2787.

Free lead-testing clinic
The Sandusky County Health Department is offering a free lead clinic Feb. 7 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Testing is offered for children 6 months thru 6 years old. Lead poisoning, a common and preventable environmental disease, affects one of six preschool-age children and can result in developmental and growth delays and learning and behavior problems.

Call 419-334-6377 to schedule an appointment and for information on future clinic dates.

Smile Express
Smile Express, a mobile dental office operated by the Dental Center of Northwest Ohio, will visit Mercy St. Charles Hospital Jan. 28.

Service is available to persons with income at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines with or without dental insurance.

The 40-foot motor coach includes to operatories, digital x-ray equipment, a water supply and generator. Licensed dentists and dental hygienists will be provide dental cleanings, x-rays, fluoride treatments, sealants, fillings, extractions and dentures.

Appointments may be made by calling 1-866-378-6965. Most dental insurances, including Medicaid and Medicaid HMOs are accepted. Reduced fees are available for people without dental insurance. Uninsured children may be seen for $25 per appointment. Uninsured adults are charged a reduced fee. The Smile Express makes monthly visits to St. Charles.

Free tax clinics
Area residents who earned less than $60,000 in 2010 can obtain free income tax filing at WSOS Community Action Commission offices located throughout the four-county area.

Tax clinics have been established at 17 WSOS sites from Feb. 1 through April 18. At the clinics, trained counselors will help residents file their federal and state tax returns and claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit, if applicable.

This service provides e-filing capability for refunds in as few as seven days, and has no preparation/refund/administrative/or other fees or charges.

Applicants must bring a government-issued identification and Social Security number(s) for all members of the household, whether or not they had income; W-2 forms; 1099 or 1098 forms and all information regarding other income such as alimony or child support etc.; all deduction and credit information; any estate, retirement or tuition revenues or expenses; and 2009’s (last year’s) income tax return, if available. Also needed at the time of filing are bank routing and account numbers, in case there are refunds.

All information is confidential and will not be shared with any other group. The service is provided through the Ohio Benefit Bank, operated by WSOS.

To attend a clinic or to schedule an appointment for this assistance, call 1-800-775-9767 or 419-334-8911.

Coats program extended
The Salvation Army’s Warm Winter Coats program, which typically runs from Nov. 1 through Jan. 31, has been extended through February due to the increasing community need.

The program operates through monetary donations from the general public and the donation of gently used coats to be cleaned and redistributed, cost free, to local families in need of a winter coat. Executive Cleaners had provided cleaning for all donated coats. 

This is the 15th year this program has been providing coats to the local residents. Local residents in need of a warm winter coat can visit the Salvation Army at The Sutton Center, 1854 East Perry St., Suite # 800, Port Clinton, to pick up coats for their families. To date, more than 864 coats have been distributed.

To donate gently used coats, call Marueen Saponari at 419-732-2769.

Same-day service
The Toledo Lucas-County Health Department, through the Statewide Issuance Program, is now offering same-day service for the purchase of any Ohio-born individual’s birth certificate.

Prior to this new process, only Lucas County-born individuals’ birth certificates could be purchased at the health department’s Vital Statistics office.

For more information, call 419-213-4100.

Cheer for a Cure
The Stella Bertz Memorial Cheerleading Association, an organization created to memorialize Stella Bertz, will hold the Seventh Annual Cheer For A Cure® Championship Feb. 19 at Genoa High School.

Doors will open at 7 a.m. Approximately 50 squads, ranging in age from PeeWee to college squads from local schools, as well as various elite teams are expected to participate in this well known championship. The day’s events will also include 50/50 cash drawings, cheer apparel for sale and a variety of concessions.

The cheerleading competition was established in 2005 and has since grown into a national, community-based organization dedicated to raising funds in an effort to impact the lives of those who have been touched by cancer. The grassroots network of cheerleaders, coaches, and supporting fans work together, striving to prevent cancer, save lives, and increase quality of life by funding research, education, advocacy, and service.

Through the Cheer For A Cure® Championship, the Stella Bertz Memorial Cheerleading Association has been able to donate over $58,000 to the American Cancer Society in the past six years.

To make a contribution, obtain more information, or to enter a team, call Maria Maluchnik at 419-855-2282 or visit www.CheerForACure.org.

The Stella Bertz Cheer For A Cure Association is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and all sponsorships, donations, and gifts are tax deductible.

Help for teens forum
A second community forum to discuss problems confronting teenagers has been scheduled for Feb. 27 at Grace Lutheran Church, Elmore.

The forum is being sponsored by Two Villages, a coalition of residents in the Woodmore School District and neighboring communities, who formed the group to find ways to foster a healthier and safer environment for children.

Forum panelists include: Ann Huss, Suicide Prevention Consultant at the Children’s Resource Center in Bowling Green, who will focus her comments on understanding teenage depression and the effects of bullying, and Mark Haskins, of the Behavioral Connection of Wood County, who will discuss social pressures and culture of teens and how to respond to high risk behavior of teens.

The forum will begin at 3 p.m. A light meal will be served at 5 p.m.

There is no fee but organizers request reservations for meal planning. For information call 419-862-3630 or email your name and phone number to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Grace Lutheran Church is located at the corner of State Route 51 and Witty Road.

About 120 residents from the Woodmore area gathered last March in the wake of accidental deaths of area teens.

Organizers said more questions were raised than could be answered that day and began making plans for the second forum.

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