Community Action Waynemedina

Head start/early head start are federally funded programs for children birth-5 and pregnant women that use a two-generational, comprehensive approach to ensuring children and their caregivers are school-ready. Caw/m serves 373 hs children and 141 ehs. Services are provided for children and caregivers in the areas of education, health, nutrition, mental health, disabilities, parent engagement, and more. Classrooms encourage children to explore language, literacy, math, and science through their everyday activities using a researched-based curricula designed for the age-group served. All children are assessed three times per year in the areas of math, language and literacy, health, physical development, social-emotional development and cognition and teachers individualize learning activities to support each child. All of caw/m's centers are 5-star step up to quality rated, the highest possible rating.

Home weatherization services that increase energy efficiency in homes through services such as home insulation, improved ventilation, furnace repair or replacement, and refrigerator and light bulb replacement, roof repair, hot water tank replacement and minor repairs to help people remain safely in their homes all at no cost to income-eligible homeowners. Weatherization staff apply energy conservation measures utilizing state-of-the-art tools materials and equipment.

Provides emergency utility assistance including state of Ohio programs such as home energy assistance program (heap), percentage of income payment plan (pipp), winter crisis heating program (wcp), and summer crisis cooling program (scp). Utility payments are also provided through some gas and electric utility companies and additional covid related funds. Rent, mortgage and utility assistance for those impacted by covid for a limited time.

All other accomplishments: economic assistance department provides car repair assistance of up to $1,000 per repair. Food is available through caw/m's rural food pantry with delivery available to seniors in the service area. Fresh produce is available in-season weekly through a partnership with a food rescue program. Transportation programs operate in each county through partnerships and include free transportation to eligible persons, mailing passes, verifying eligibility, and setting up rides. Wooster city transportation for independent persons, administered by caw/m, provides two transit loops in wooster with low fare workplace passes which are scheduled in advance along with some countywide medical, and other destinations through various funding sources to low-income persons, older adults, individuals with disabilities and the general public. Additional Community services include outreach to seniors, connection to free legal services, free tax return preparation, a spring plant program and parent training and self-sufficiency training. Caw/m offers free car seat inspections to all Community members through two certified car seat safety technicians. Caw/m is also part of the Ohio buckles buckeyes (obb) program. The obb program is designed to help provide car seats and booster seats to low-income families in Ohio. To be eligible for a car seat through this program, family members must be a resident of Ohio and meet current wic eligibility guidelines. The parent or guardian of the child must attend a car seat education class with the on-site cpst. Families are eligible for one (1) seat per child per three (3) years through this program. Bridges out of poverty is a change model that teaches the "hidden rules" that hinder people from bridging the gap between poverty, middle class, and wealth. Workshops are offered to area businesses, social service agencies, school faculty, religious groups, and others who are seeking to understand the barriers those living in poverty may face. Getting ahead, a part of the bridges out of poverty program, is a free 8-week workshop. The program is designed to help people in financial hardship build a path to a better future with financial literacy, soft skills certification and online life coaching incorporated. A similar program for high school students - r rules - is also offered, as well as workplace stability training for local employers.