A Single Mother Gets Assistance Through the Ohio Benefit Bank

We'd like to pass along a story from Brent Sigley, one of our Americorps volunteers. We think it's a great example of using the Benefit Bank software to improve someone's life for the better.

I recently assisted a Family Involvement Coordinator (FIC) at Trillium Family Solutions [ed: a non-profit organization based in Stark County] in filling out a food stamp application for her first client. The FIC was close friends with the client and knew that she was in desperate need of assistance. The applicant was a single mother of two children, and she was only working a part-time job and receiving approximately $200 a month in child support. A week before her appointment, she had received an eviction notice. After she got done paying the utility bills and for food for her children, she didn’t have enough money to pay the rent.

After we filled out the application, it appeared she was eligible for cash assistance and over $500.00 worth of food assistance. When I had told her this wonderful news, she broke down and started to cry. She had been spending close to that in food for the month, and now she would be able to pay her rent on time.

I took this application personally because I was raised by a single mother and I remember when times were tough and we could barely get our bills paid. So this really touched home for me. It was like putting icing on the cake when the application was done, knowing that The Ohio Benefit Bank was that much of an aid.

Thanks, Brent!