Poverty Symposium

The Symposium on Issues of Poverty strives to raise awareness of the serious challenges that poverty presents to the residents of Oberlin and the surrounding area. As members of both religious and secular communities we commit ourselves to work for the amelioration of poverty today and the eradication of poverty tomorrow.

Resources for Individuals

Health Care:

Allen Community Hospital

A primary care hospital serving southern Lorain County

American Red Cross, Lorain County Chapter

A humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.

Family Planning Services of Lorain County

Provide medical and educational services in the areas of reproductive health and family planning.

Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland

A clinic providing free health care and related services, and advocating for policy changes that make health care available to all.

New Life Hospice Center of St. Joseph

Provides care that will enhance the dignity and improve the quality of life for those living out their last months, weeks, or days.

Lorain County Health and Dentistry

Provides quality, comprehensive and compassionate primary health care to the people of Lorain and surrounding communities regardless of ability to pay.

Lorain County Free Clinic

Coordinates community resources for low-income, uninsured residents of Lorain County, providing them comprehensive healthcare at low or no cost.

Community Health Partners

Offers a range of services such as: a cancer center, home health, hospice, physician offices, a wound care center, a rehabilitation center, an imaging center and two foundations though its two acute care hospitals

Lorain County Health District

Responsible for preventing disease and promoting health in Lorain County in the areas of inspection, licensing, immunization, tests, treatments, and health regulation enforcement

Mental Health:

Far West Center

Offers behavioral health, psychiatric services and recovery programs for adults, and their families with persistent and severe mental illness, depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders.

Gathering Hope House

Offer non-judgmental, confidential, safe, and friendly environment where people can socialize and overcome the isolation of mental illness.

Lorain County Board of Mental Health

The local public agency that plans, funds, monitors and evaluates a system of services for residents with mental illness in Lorain County.

The Nord Center

Provide comprehensive behavioral healthcare services, including emergency stabilization, rape crisis counseling, psychiatric assessments, counseling/therapy, community support, partial hospitalization, residential services, vocational testing and job training, addiction services

Substance Abuse:

Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board of Lorain County

A special purpose governmental agency charged with planning, evaluating, coordinating, funding and contracting for the delivery of publicly-financed alcohol and drug addiction education, prevention and treatment services for the benefit of the residents of Lorain County

Lorain County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services

Provides a comprehensive range of alcohol and drug services for adolescents, adults, family members, and the hearing impaired. These services include Assessments, Case Management, Individual and Group Therapy, Family Intervention, Education, Prevention Services, and Low-Intensity and Intensive Outpatient Services.

Lorain Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program

Uses a holistic family and culture-centered model to provide substance abuse prevention, intervention and related services. Programs in English and Spanish.

Disabilities:

Lucy Idol Center for the Handicapped

Open to any disabled individual in Lorain County or Erie County who needs daily intervention to maintain and rehabilitate or habilitate life skills.

Easter Seals, Northern Ohio

Provides services to children and adults with disabilities and special needs, and their families.

Murray Ridge Center

Ensures the availability of services and supports that assist eligible individuals in living the life they choose and assists and supports the families of these individuals in achieving these goals.

Linking Employment, Abilities and Potential

Assists people with all types of disabilities in finding jobs matching their abilities, skills and interests. Also provides personal, community and systems advocacy in an effort to implement local and state policy changes to make facilities, services and opportunities available and accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Children:

Child Care Resource Center

A child care resource and referral agency that helps families find child care for their children

Oberlin Early Childhood Center

Nurtures the healthy growth of young children and their families

Blessing House

A safe, child-centered house for children who need a place to stay for a short time.

Community Organizations:

America Scores Cleveland

Part of a nationwide program that uses poetry and soccer as tools to teach literacy, life skills, and the importance of community service to inner-city elementary school children.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain County

A one-on-one youth mentoring organization

Boys and Girls Club of Lorain County

Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence.

Common Ground, the Cindy Nord Center for Renewal

Provides innovative, holistic, educational experiences for youth, adults, and workplaces, fostering human potential – body, mind, and spirit.

Girl Scouts of North East Ohio

In an accepting and nurturing environment, girls build character and skills for success in the real world, like strong values, social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth.

Vermillion Family YMCA

Offers opportunities for individuals and families to grow in spirit, mind and body at every life stage. Sports and fitness, summer day camps, child care, and more.

Elyria YWCA

Strives to create opportunities for women’s growth, leadership and power

Catholic Charities Family Center of Lorain

Neighborhood social service agency providing outreach services to members of the community, including community connections, emergency assistance, friendship connection, hot meals/food pantry, moms & tots play group

Elderly:

Hearthstone Assisted Living

An assisted living facility in Lorain that cares for all needs of its residents—physical, emotional, social, and intellectual.

Welcome Nursing Home

Offers short-term rehabilitation and community reintegration as well as long term and hospice care services.

Oak Hills Nursing Center

A provider of long-term skilled nursing care and short-term rehabilitation solutions.

Housing:

Housing Research and Advocacy Center

Works to eliminate housing discrimination and assure choice in Northeast Ohio by providing those at risk with effective information, intervention and advocacy

Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless

Organizes and empowers homeless and at-risk men, women and children to break the cycle of poverty through public education, advocacy and the creation of nurturing environments.

Family Promise of Lorain County

Brings shelter, meals, and support services to families without homes.

Haven Center

A shelter which also provides a diverse variety of vital human resource services to help people move into permanent housing.

New Sunrise Properties

Provides the citizens of Lorain County who are mentally ill, homeless, low-income or otherwise needy with the opportunity to obtain safe, decent, affordable and permanent housing.

Lorain County Habitat for Humanity

Builds simple, decent houses with the help of homeowner families. Offers 0% interest on the mortgages to their families

Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority

Provides decent, safe and affordable housing for the low-income citizens of Lorain County.

FAITH House

Serves families trapped in the cycle of homelessness through a transitional housing program that helps families set goals to gain independence, stability and to reconnect with the community for supportive services, housing and employment.

Food:

Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio

Gathers and provides resources to hunger-relief agencies serving individuals and families in Crawford, Erie, Huron and Lorain counties.

Employment:

Goodwill Industries of Lorain County

A community-based organization that provides education, job training and employment services as well as job placement and post-employment support for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment

Education:

Oberlin Public Library

The Bridge

Oberln’s community technology center, which provides free internet and computer access and educational classes to help bridge the digital divide within our community.

Lorain County Junior Achievement

Educates students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs.

Lorain county Junior Vocational School

Provides career-technical programs of excellence for both the youth and adults of Lorain County.

Arts:

Firelands Association for the Visual Arts

An independent art organization dedicated to enhancing public appreciation of and participation in the visual arts through exhibitions and related educational and community activities.

The MAD* Factory
*Music Arts and Drama

Provides young people with education and performance experience in music, arts and drama.

Environment:

Franciscan Earth Literacy Center

Promotes active learning and healthy relationships with our natural environment to achieve sustainable living

Full Circle Fuels

An alternative fuels center dedicated to increasing awareness and use of biofuels in northeast Ohio.

The New Agrarian Center

Committed to building a stronger and more sustainable regional food system in Northeast Ohio- a food system that promotes health in the broadest sense of the word: healthy land, healthy communities, healthy individuals, and a healthy economy.

Other Resources:

Lorain County Urban League

Services consist of four areas: Housing, Economic Development/Employment, Education/Youth Development and Health Prevention, Education and Promotion.

Lorain County Task Force For the Homeless

Assesses the characteristics and needs of the county’s homeless, fosters the development of housing and services to meet these needs, educates citizens and officials about local homelessness, and advocates on behalf of homeless persons.

Catholic Action Commission of Lorain County

An advocacy group that works to discover the root causes of problems and issues, influence public policy and be a catalyst for social change.

City Wheels

A car sharing organization

Community Peace Builders

A non-sectarian organization working to build a culture of peace through concrete acts of mercy, justice, compassion, advocacy and cooperation.

Genesis House Domestic Violence Center

Provides a comprehensive range of family-focused services for Lorain County victims of domestic violence

The Immigrant Worker Project

Dedicated to the struggle for justice and human dignity for rural immigrant workers from Latin America.

Lorain County Reinvestment Coalition

Works to monitor, support, educate and advocate for investment in the low- and moderate-income communities of Lorain County. The Coalition monitors and supports fair lending practices and the activities of lending institutions.

Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry

Serves and advocates with persons currently and previously involved in the criminal justice system, youth at-risk, people with disabilities, people dealing with long term care needs and people who are homeless.

Organize Ohio

A statewide organization working to advance and encourage community organizing as a strategy for progressive change in Ohio.

Legal Aid Society of Cleveland

Provides high quality legal services and works for systemic solutions for those who are low income and vulnerable

Hard Hatted Women

Empowers women to achieve economic independence by creating workplace diversity in trade and technical careers.

Lorain County Community Action Agency

Serves residents of Lorain County through programs for child and continuing education, child care, home repair, food distribution, housing, and more.

Lorain County Department of Job and Family Services

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services

Lorain Salvation Army

Strives to meet the basic needs of all who come seeking help by taking immediate care of the basic human needs of food, shelter, clothing and safety

Neighborhood House Association

Has programs to help Lorain County residents with child care, rent/mortgage/utility assistance, homelessness, senior nutrition, and more.

El Centro de Servicios Sociales

Dedicated to enhancing the socioeconomic status of the Lorain County Hispanic community by providing advocacy and human services through programs such as employment and training, housing, youth, seniors, family violence, and mental health.

St. Vincent DePaul Society

Cares for the needy and disadvantaged of the Lorain County area through home visits, food pantry, clothing and furniture programs, thrift stores and outreach programs

Oberlin Community Services

Provides direct assistance to Oberlin residents, such as emergency assistance for food, housing, utilities, transportation, clothing, prescriptions, holiday needs and other necessities; academic assistance for 4th and 6th graders and Oberlin High School students; meals on wheels, and several other community outreach and development programs

Resources for Organizations

Community Shares of Greater Cleveland

A workplace giving federation with a focus on social justice which generates essential operating funds for nonprofit organizations that are working for positive community change.

Cleveland Reads

This Greater Cleveland Literacy Coalition, acts as a primary literacy resource for more than 130 youth and adult education programs.

United Way of Greater Lorain County

Raises and distributes funds to organizations and charities that meet human service needs.

The Stocker Foundation

Grantmaking for organizations involved in arts & culture, community needs, education, health, social services and women’s issues