Local Community Action Commission Wins Best Practice Award

On February 2, 2012, Ohio Heartland Community Action Commission won a Best Practice award from the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies (OACAA) for its Backpack program. Ohio Heartland developed a Backpack program to provide meals for low-income school children in Galion with assistance from a number of area agencies.

“We are very pleased to have received the Best Practice Award from OACAA,” said Joe Devany, Executive Director of Ohio Heartland. “We are proud of the Backpack program we developed. This program provides meals for children who may otherwise go hungry waiting for their next school-provided meal. We would like to thank all of the agencies who helped us develop this wonderful program.”

OACAA and the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University have developed the Best Practice Awards to honor innovative and effective Community Action Agency programs that measurably meet the needs of clients, families and communities by helping low-income people become more self-sufficient. The Best Practice Awards serve as a showcase for unique Community Action Agency efforts that make a measurable and life-changing difference. A panel of judges selected by the Glenn School evaluated each nomination independently and assigned points based on their assessment of each nomination. Ohio Heartland was selected as a recipient of this year’s Best Practice Awards.

Ohio Heartland coordinated the services and resources of more than ten agencies and businesses to provide a much-needed backpack lunch program for school children, providing over 100 kids with enough food to hold them until their next school-provided meal. Ohio Heartland found there was a great need for this program in the area because of the high unemployment rate, the number of drug-related arrests and deaths, and the high percentage of Galion City School students qualifying for free or reduced lunches. While only 20 percent of the eligible students are receiving backpacks, Ohio Heartland maintains a waiting list to move new families into the program when someone moves from the region. Ohio Heartland continues to receive donations and find efficiencies to lower costs and increase the number of children served.

“This program showcases an outstanding achievement in Community Action,” stated Philip E. Cole, Executive Director of OACAA. “It aids low-income people in becoming more self-sufficient and is a practice that other CAAs can learn from. Congratulations to Ohio Heartland.”