May 24, 2013 << Back to Publications / Media Archive     Great Grants - Second Harvest Food Bank Benefits Bank Beth Maiden For those who have followed the work of the Community Foundation for some time, you might already know that we have been a proud supporter of Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio since we helped with the agency's creation.  Second Harvest has grown to serve over 77,000 hungry individuals residing in Crawford, Erie, Huron and Lorain Counties.  Over 10,000 individuals receive emergency food assistance through Second Harvest weekly through its network of 76 pantries, 32 soup kitchens, and 9 homeless shelters. But distributing food is not enough. The Foundation prides itself on practicing strategic philanthropy and is always looking for ways to best leverage our grants.  In 2007, Foundation Senior Program Officer Linda Styer suggested to Second Harvest Executive Director Julie Chase-Morefield that they look for ways to connect their clients to Ohio's Benefits Bank, an online program that permits agencies to help people apply for public benefits like food stamps and Medicaid offsite and assist with income taxes.  With $3,389 added to her grant request of $20,000, Julie was able to purchase laptop computers and coordinate the Benefits Bank signups through her AmeriCorps workers. The Community Foundation was pleased to learn very recently that Oberlin College students were recognized for their work with Second Harvest and the Benefits Bank project.  The students assisted 72 individuals in obtaining benefits and helped 54 clients complete their tax returns.  Now that's an investment with a great return.   RELATED ITEMS Great Grants: Going "viral" with Good Governance Meet our New Board Members Great Grants: ideastream Preparing Students for Success in Life Great Grants - Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center Jim Doughman Community Service Award 30th Sign-Up for our New E-Newsletter! Resource Preservation Statement Learn more about us Brian's Blog   << Back to Publications / Media Archive