Agency has staff in St. Marys to serve residents

ST. MARYS - The Lima Allen Council on Community Affairs, an antipoverty agency, has staff at the St. Marys utility office one day a week to improve service for its local clients.

LACCA personnel will be at the office from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Wednesdays to assist clients with emergency needs. St. Marys is allowing LACCA to use the space at no cost, according to LACCA CEO Jacqueline Fox.   

"We're trying to bring the services to the community," Fox told the newspaper this morning, noting the new location is aimed at helping people without transportation who otherwise would need to travel to LACCA's offices in Celina, Wapakoneta or Lima.

Clients can get one-on-one support with LACCA's Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps the elderly and low-income families with winter heating bills, prescription assistance and additional services offered through LACCA's other offices.

One of the critical services being offered through March 31 is the Winter Crisis program, which can provide up to $175 to those whose gas or electric utilities have been shut off or $750 to those using bulk fuels.

So far this year, 1,447 households in Auglaize, Mercer and Allen counties have been served through the Winter Crisis program, according to Fox.

Also, its Summer Crisis program served 133 clients in Auglaize County and 178 clients in Mercer County, Fox said.

LACCA is continuing to take steps to become a fixture in Mercer and Auglaize counties. Sources Community Network Service, which had provided anti-poverty services in Mercer and Auglaize counties, was dissolved last year by its board of directors. The state designated LACCA as the interim agency for the area for 18 months until the end of the state's two-year budget period, according to Fox.

LACCA took over the local transportation program, a labor-intensive process, and is serving the same number of clients as Sources did, Fox said.

Mercer County Commissioners last month approved a two-year, $348,340 Job Access and Reverse Commute grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation on LACCA's behalf.

The funds will help pay annual expenses of about $376,000 to transport local income-eligible residents to jobs, medical appointments and other destinations. The funds will be used to pay expenses such as drivers' wages, vehicle maintenance and fuel costs.

The Lima-based agency wants to take over the role of local anti-poverty service provider permanently in July. The Ohio Development Services Agency has the authority to designate LACCA as the provider, according to ODSA spokesman Todd Walker.

For that to happen, LACCA must get endorsements from a majority of elected leaders in Mercer and Auglaize counties, Fox said.

Fox said LACCA will seek formal endorsements later this year.

LACCA also, according to Walker, must add local representatives to its board and submit a needs assessment of Mercer and Auglaize counties to the state. ODSA eventually will have a hearing for public comment.

The first draft of the community assessment, containing critical demographic data, should be finalized in the coming weeks, Fox said.

Fox said LACCA has established an advisory committee to determine the need for services in Auglaize and Mercer counties. Data obtained during the community assessment will be disclosed at future focus group meetings, Fox said.

If the state selects LACCA as the local service provider, the group will add Mercer and Auglaize county representatives to its 18-member board of directors, Fox said.

The agency has satellite offices in Celina at 420 Brandon Ave., the former Sources office; Wapakoneta at 13093 Infirmary Road at Auglaize Acres; and at the St. Marys utility office, 106 E. Spring St.

LACCA offers, to income-eligible residents, a community technology center in Lima for online learning, job research and printing and scanning resources; the Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program; the Homeless Crisis Response Plan and many other services, Fox said.