Volunteers from four Cincinnati parishes were part of the group of pioneers who took Benefit Bank training the very first week it was offered in Ohio, January, 2006. Here, parishioners from Holy Spirit, Forest Park, and St. Stephen's, Cincinnati are learning hands-on in the Great Oaks computer lab in Sharonville.
A tool to lift people out of poverty
The Economic Policy Institute reports that more than a fifth of Ohio families with young children “cannot cover basic needs with their earned income.”
Ohioans are currently missing out on over $1 billion a year in tax credits and public benefits that could lift them over the poverty line. The needs of these working families are far beyond the capacity of our churches to meet alone. Thanks to a grant from the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund, ECSF is helping churches to link people to federal and state assistance through the Benefit Bank - free web-based software developed for the National Council of Churches.
Using the Benefit Bank, anyone reasonably comfortable with computers can screen people for eligibility and fill out applications for food stamps, Medicaid, child care, and energy assistance. The Benefit Bank also does federal and Ohio tax returns in a way that is actually fun and empowering for people who were previously intimidated by tax forms. As part of welfare reform, Congress sees these programs as “work supports” for people transitioning off cash assistance. Together they can add as much as $10,000 a year to the buying power of families with children, through subsidies for food, quality child care, and health care.
The software can be used anywhere there’s a computer with high-speed internet access, making it ideal for church food pantries and other neighborhood programs. Training is free, and takes a total of 12 hours. To learn more about how to connect your ministry to the Benefit Bank, contact Ariel Miller.
Benefit Bank counselors across Ohio – including many Episcopal volunteers - did tax returns for 1,000 families this year, bringing them more $1,244 million in refunds and credits. Read here how Christ Church Dayton deacon-in-training Arthur Mills used the Benefit Bank to help a mother get tax credits which she used to move her family to a good school district!
The Benefit Bank, championed first in Ohio by ECSF, is now part of the state’s anti-poverty strategy.
For other non-profit entities that may be helpful sources of information on community needs and program design, go to our Other Resources page.
Episcopal Community Services Foundation | 412 Sycamore St. Cincinnati, OH 45202513-221-0547 | ecsf@eos.net