Family news briefs

HEAP Summer Crisis program ending Aug. 31
        The Ohio Development Services Agency wants to remind Ohioans that the Home Energy Assistance Summer Crisis Program ends Aug. 31.
        Ohioans can apply online at energyhelp.ohio.gov or at their local Energy Assistance Provider.
        To qualify for the Summer Crisis Program, a household must have an annual income at or below 175 percent of the federal poverty guideline or $45,062.50 for a family of four.
        The household also must have a household member 60 years or older or provide physician documentation that cooling assistance is needed for a household member's health. Conditions can include lung disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or asthma.
        Income-eligible Ohioans can start an application online prior to their required face-to-face meeting at their local Energy Assistance Provider. The online application and a list of local Energy Assistance Providers can be found at energyhelp.ohio.gov.
        When applying, Ohioans will need to provide copies of the following documents:
        • Most recent utility bills.
        • A list of all household members (including birth dates and Social Security numbers).
        • Proof of income for the past 30 days for all household members (12 months of proof of income preferred).
        • Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency for all household members.
        • Proof of disability (if applicable).
        • Physician documentation (if applicable).
        Eligible households can receive up to $300 in assistance if they are a customer of a regulated utility, or up to $500 in assistance if they are a customer of unregulated utilities such as electric cooperatives and municipal utilities. The assistance is applied to their utility bill or applied to central air conditioning repair costs.
        Ohioans enrolled in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus Program (PIPP) are not eligible for bill payment assistance through the program but are encouraged to work with the local Energy Assistance Provider to identify other opportunities for assistance.
        To start an online application or find your local Energy Assistance Provider visit energyhelp.ohio.gov or call 800- 282-0880.
 
Benefit poker run
        The 6th Annual Poker Run to benefit the Humane Society of Sandusky County will be held Saturday, Aug. 24.
        Proceeds raised will the Humane Society care for abused, neglected and homeless pets.
        The Poker Run will begin at Pub 400 at 400 N. Stone St. in Fremont at 10 a.m. It is a mystery ride taking participants to scenic locations, where the next stop is revealed at each stop. It will end at 4:30 p.m. at Pub 400, where cold drinks and a hog roast will await.
        The cost is $20 per driver, $15 per passenger and $10 non-riders (hog roast only).
        For more information, call the Humane Society office at 419-334-4517 or Marge Hirt at 419-307-5040.
 
Charity dog wash
        The Wood County Humane Society will present its 3rd Annual Charity Dog Wash Saturday, Aug. 25 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Poco’s Playhouse, Gypsy Lane Rd., Bowling Green.
        For more details, visit wchumane.org.
 
Sauder Village Barbershop Sing
        The four-part harmony of barbershop music will fill the air at Aug. 24 at Sauder Village, Archbold.
        The annual Barbershop Sing will feature The Men of Independence of Ohio in concert at 1 p.m. in Founders Hall.
The chorus is comprised of approximately 80 male singers who enjoy both formal and informal quartet singing as well as high-caliber chorus singing.
        Chartered in 2003 as an Ohio chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, the award-winning group performs a cappella music, primarily in the barbershop style. For more information about The Men of Independence visit http://independencechapter.com/.
        In addition to the concert, guests can make special memories while visiting with costumed guides and working craftsmen at Ohio’s largest living-history destination.
        For more information, call 1-800-590-9755. A complete schedule of 2019 Sauder Village events is available online at www.saudervillage.org.
 
WIC Program available to at-risk moms, kids
        Sandusky County Public Health provides a special supplemental nutrition programming for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
        WIC helps income-eligible pregnant and breastfeeding women who recently had a baby; and infants, and children up to 5 years of age who are at health risk due to inadequate nutrition.
        This federally funded service provides supplemental, highly nutritious foods such as cereal, eggs, milk, whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables, and iron-fortified infant formula.
        WIC is also available, based on gross household income or Medicaid eligibility, to grandparents raising grandchildren, foster parents, and anyone who has received temporary custody of an infant or child. WIC can be found in every county, in every state across the nation. It is a fully grant-funded program from the USDA, through the Ohio Department of Health.
        In Sandusky County, the WIC program has been part of the Sandusky County Public Health Department for more than 40 years.
        The WIC program improves pregnancy outcomes by providing or referring to support services necessary for full-term pregnancies; reduces infant mortality by reducing the incidence of low birth weight (infants under 5-½ pounds are at greater risk of breathing problems, brain injuries and physical abnormalities), and provides infants and children with a healthy start in life by improving poor or inadequate diets.
        WIC also provides nutrition education, breastfeeding education and support and referrals to prenatal and pediatric health care and other maternal and child health and human service programs.
        Sandusky County’s local staff of WIC health professionals works closely with local OB doctors, midwives, and pediatricians from ProMedica Memorial Hospital, the Bellevue Hospital, and Community Health Services as well as Jobs and Family Services, to provide well rounded care for program participants.
        The Sandusky County WIC program currently serves an average of 1,000 participants per month, which includes about 350 infants, 400 children and 250 women. Of those 250 women, about 40 percent are breastfeeding. On average, 163 referrals are made monthly to prenatal and pediatric health care or other maternal and child health and human service programs.
        To learn more about WIC, call 419-334-6363 or visit www.scpublichealth.com.