St. Stephen's Community House assistance programs.
Assistance is available from St. Stephen's Community House for a wide range of individuals. The charity can help families with food or child care needs. They also operate holiday programs for the less fortunate, and offer a number of services to seniors. The Community House is also a great place to turn to for referrals and other support.
Programs for child care and youth in Franklin County
Affordable child care is provided from the agency. Those who enroll will generally need to pay some type of fees for this program. What is available will include education as well as other forms of early childhood services. This and more is available through the St. Stephen’s Christ Child-Child Care Center.
The center is designed to provide a wide array of day care services to parents who are working either full or part time, receiving job training or attending an educational program. Childcare programs emphasize social, physical, cognitive, language and motor skill development, all in a safe environment. SSCH also has received accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), so this is a top notch facility for qualified low income parents.
Another youth oriented service from St. Stephen's Community House is for high-risk individuals between five and 18 years of age and their families. The agency helps clients develop and improve academic performance, age-appropriate social skills, access part time employment, expand positive peer interactions and nurture family relationships. Group work, individual and family support, and school visits are among the services provided by SSCH.
For Franklin County youth that are in school, they can access after-school and summer programs held at the SSCH office and Windsor STEM K-6 Academy. These programs help students with their studies and feature preventive and developmental activities. In addition, a tutoring program is available to help individuals achieve academic success by providing the needed resources and support in small group settings. The tutors are highly trained volunteers as well as even teachers from Columbus Ohio.
The organization offers services for senior citizens and administers a number of assistance programs focused on their needs. This can help them, among other things, remain independent and self-sufficient.
Assistance for seniors from St. Stephen's Community House
For the elderly in Franklin County Ohio, SSCH provides advocacy, socialization and recreational activities, and workshops and seminars on benefits such as Medicaid or housing. Agency staff visit homes and connect clients with community resources. Furthermore, a neighborhood health center is available which can help facilitate low cost medical and dental care. These services are intended for senior citizens who reside in the Linden community, as well as areas with the following ZIP codes of 43229, 43004, 43211, 43230, 43231 and 43219.
Basic needs such as food and clothing
Needy individuals, the unemployed and low income families can make use of the neighborhood services program run by St. Stephen's Community House. This can help them obtain essential items for daily living, such as free food, clothing for work or school and prescription medications. These services are offered on an as-needed basis.
A food pantry supplies short-term emergency food, groceries, or even seasonal holiday meals to county residents in need. Impoverished individuals receive a three-day supply of nutritionally balanced food upon visiting SSCH’s pantry. Financial support for the pantry is derived from many sources, including the Franklin County food bank, Community Services Block Grant, the federal Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP), Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) and other resources. In addition, donations and food drives contribute to the operation of the pantry as well.
Free holiday services, for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, are available through a collaboration between SSCH and other community agencies. These services include Coats for Kids, Salvation Army food baskets, Angel Tree and Kiwanis Club’s holiday party for children. In addition, Christmas Cares/Union Shares is an annual program that provides families with groceries or meals for a week. SSCH partners with Central Ohio Labor Council and a coalition of non-profit organizations, businesses, schools, civic groups, government agencies and volunteers to offer this program.
Additional resources in the county
Referrals to financial support may be available. The non-profit has Ohio Benefit Bank-certified counselors that can assist clients in applying for public aid programs, such as food stamps or Medicaid. There is also information on emergency rental assistance and local shelters in Columbus Ohio.
The Living Well In Linden Initiative provides health and wellness services to the local community. Individuals and families can borrow bicycles for exercise purposes through the bike loan program, and they can use them for work transportation or recreational needs. Also, Linden residents and SSCH program participants can receive fruits and vegetables by volunteering at the agency’s community garden.
SSCH administers the Family to Family Initiative to keep households together and strengthen the bond between members. The agency has partnered with Franklin County Children Services and four settlement houses to provide this initiative, and it will even address financial challenges or budgeting needs too.
SSCH needs volunteers to assist with administering these services. Volunteers teach senior citizens to use computers, help clients with weekly activities, stock the food pantry and load clients’ cars with groceries, among other tasks.
A combination of case managers and volunteers also work as tutors and assistants for the agency’s after-school and childcare programs, allowing more children to receive individual attention from staff. People from the community also register families and answer phones so that clients can get immediate assistance and emergency aid.
While resources are limited, St. Stephen's Community House (SSCH) may be able to assist in a crisis. The organization is located at 1500 East 17th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43219 and can be reached by phone at (614) 294-6347.
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