Ohio residents can now apply online for assistance, make changes to their cases online

Ohio residents can now apply online for cash assistance, food assistance and Medicaid, and they can make changes to their cases online as well.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has created a new website that allows state residents to apply for food assistance, cash assistance and Medicaid through one simple form. They can also now complete interim reports for their cases, fill out forms to reapply for services and report changes to their cases online.

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Stories of our clients - Julie's story

Life is pretty tough for Julie right now.

She is out of work, she doesn’t have enough money to get by, and she and is dealing with health problems. She and her husband have a three-year-old daughter to take care of and they are having a hard time making ends meet. They are currently living with Julie’s cousin in order to save money.

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Stories of our clients - Susan's story

Susan (not her real name) was very happy with her life just a few months ago. She enjoyed her job, she and her husband had a nice home for their son and everything was going pretty well.

They weren’t getting rich and they had some medical concerns and other problems, but overall life was stable and enjoyable.

But then, just before Susan was set to take her paid vacation at work, she learned from her bosses that her job was being eliminated due to budget cuts. She is now out of work and her husband, who has held several jobs in recent years, also does not currently have steady full time work.

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Free lunch program keeps children fed in the summer

“Do you guys have the free lunches?” a young boy asked as he walked up to the picnic table at the park beside the swimming pool in Nelsonville on a recent summer day.

This young man was one of hundreds of children who receive free lunches in Nelsonville every day throughout the summer. The lunches are passed out by the Nelsonville Community Center, thanks to a grant-funded program from Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action.

“I think this is amazing,” said Rhonda Bentley, director of the Nelsonville Community Center. “I love this program.”

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