SUCCESS STORIES
THE WARMTH OF KINDNESS
January 2022
On December 9th, Adam Days in the Workforce & Business Development Program (W&B) at Community Action Committee of Pike County (CAC) was contacted by Amy Harris, a representative of Accurate Heating & Cooling in Chillicothe, to ask for assistance with sharing information about the company’s Annual Holiday Give-Away donation in the Pike County area. The application provided by Accurate explains the giveaway:
“At Christmas, we celebrate God giving His greatest gift of Jesus to the world,
Accurate Heating & Cooling and Bryant want to share in this spirit of giving as well.
We will provide and install one heating system to a local family in immediate need.
Please complete the form below and include an explanation of the heating need
and how the system would make a difference.”
To ensure that the information about this generous opportunity was shared with as many people in need as possible, Adam delivered the application to the CAC’s Social Services staff. Karen Minney in Social Services assisted with sharing the information with the Weatherization Program, Housing Program, and others.
The application found its way to the desk of CAC’s Social Worker, Annya Thompson, who knew of a co-worker, Mary Hablitzel, that was in dire need of a new furnace. Mary’s furnace had abruptly stopped working a few months prior leaving her family to rely on space heaters and the gas cook stove to heat her house. Out of fear for the family’s safety and well-being, Annya completed the application on Mary’s behalf in hopes of finding assistance for Mary and her family.
Days later, Mary received a call from a representative at Accurate Heating & Cooling to congratulate her on being chosen to receive a new heating system unit and to schedule a time for a technician to visit her home to inspect the current furnace and heating structure. During the inspection, the technician explained to Mary that not only was the furnace unrepairable but also explained how fortunate she was that the furnace had an automatic shutoff valve. He further explained that the gas was entering the wrong chamber which could have easily resulted in a severely life-threatening situation (fire or carbon monoxide poisoning).
The technician left her home that day and returned two days later with the new furnace and installed it that day. The Hablitzel family is very grateful to Accurate Heating & Cooling and fellow CAC team members who were able to make this holiday season one of the warmest and kindest that the family has known proving that generosity of others is the greatest gift of all.
The CAC staff would like to thank Accurate Heating & Cooling for their generosity to the Pike County community throughout the year and appreciation for their partnership with making this opportunity available for those in our area that are in need.
THE SUCCESS OF IRA H.
December 2021
The Transitions Program through the Workforce & Business Development
Program at the Community Action Committee of Pike County has been a
huge blessing to me. The program helped me in more ways I could count--
from placing me in a work environment to help me gain work experience
to helping supply my basic needs when times were tough.
The staff was so helpful and kind to me; even when I was unsure of my
next step. They guided me through the difficulties of adult life. I feel like
this program started me on a journey to financial independence, and
I can’t thank the men and women at Community Action who always had my
best interests at heart.
The work experience I gained while placed in my employment location was invaluable. I worked at the Pike County Courthouse accomplishing vital tasks such as cleaning, organizing, helping with office work, and other jobs as needed. I formed a strong friendship with my coworkers and even guests who frequented the courthouse. Getting to work alongside other people in the Transitions Program helped me see other people’s struggles and gave me perspective into their lives. I still have friends today that I first met in my work environment. Alongside the companionship, improving my work ethic and developing a love for accomplishing tasks were the most valuable
concepts I was taught. I use the skills I learned in my job every day; and seeing people of all backgrounds and ways of life made me want to take on a career helping other people.
I am currently working as a Peer Support Specialist, a position that requires me to connect and communicate with recovering addicts. I have been working in this position for a little over two months; but without a doubt, I can honestly say that my job is perfect for me. The recovery field is not the area I planned or expected to go into in my early life; but, with the experience and skills I learned from this program, I realized that assisting in other people in their recovery is exactly what I have always wanted from a job. The sheer gratification you feel from helping someone through a dark time or even just being there to talk is unimaginable. The people I support have become more than clients to me. They are treasured friends.
THE CAC'S "REINDEER GAMES" EVENT WAS A BIG WIN!
December 2021
The Community Action Committee of Pike County’s (CAC) Events Committee hosted their holiday-themed community event, “Reindeer Games” on Wednesday, December 15th in the multipurpose building at the Pike County Fairgrounds. The Committee worked diligently throughout the day transforming the inside of the building into a Holiday Wonderland with decorations and fun. Tables were arranged throughout the building for CAC’s programs, partnering organizations, and local businesses which provided candy, snacks, crafts, and games for the children of the community to enjoy.
Unlike poor Rudolph who was denied from participating in “any reindeer games” from the iconic holiday song, the children in attendance played all of the games that were available. Long lines of excited kids waited eagerly to toss the bean-bag at the Christmas cans, knock over the Grinch bowling pins, or pin the nose on the snowman. The Early Childhood Program at the CAC provided the holiday-themed games for the children to play as well as the token prizes that were awarded for the effort and entertainment put forth. The Social Services Program passed out gently used stuffed animal toys for children. The Community Empowerment Program gave away free books for children to
encourage reading.
The Workforce & Business Development Program (W&B) at the CAC provided the attraction of live reindeer that were positioned outside of the building next to the entrance giving the community the opportunity to see and pet the “stars of the show.” Rudy and Cherry, the reindeer, entertained the excited children and were friendly with the families that were gathered around the safety fence to capture photos with the holiday animals.
During the event, families stood patiently in line to visit with the man-of-the-hour, Santa Claus, who met with each eager child for a photo opportunity and to find out what each child wanted for Christmas. The photos taken were printed for the families as a holiday gift from the Valley View Health Centers. The SPARK Youth Program provided a hot chocolate bar with sweets and candies to make the “perfect” beverage to enjoy. The Grinch and Rudolph mingled throughout the crowd interacting with the children, posing for photos, and adding festive fun to the event. In addition to these two classic holiday characters, there were several inflatable decorations such as Sponge Bob Square Pants, Yoda from the Star Wars franchise, and Olaf from Disney’s Frozen—which were raffled off at the end of the event along with a 3-foot teddy bear and North Pole Sign.
The attending organizations and businesses were Unity 1 Home Care, Rural King, Bellisio’s Foods, Speyside Bourbon Stave Mill, Kirchhoff Automotive, Comfort Home Care, On-Board USA, Solid Waste Conversation, Post Overdose Recovery Team (PORT), The Recovery Council, Suicide Prevention, Madison Missionary Baptist Church, the Farm Bureau, Riverdale Church CCCU, CAC Administration, Community Action Transit System (CATS), the Pike County Senior Center, and the CAC Human Resources Department generously provided candy, snacks, games, and crafts for the community.
The attendance for this event was estimated to be over 400 people not only from Pike County but also from surrounding counties of Ross, Scioto, Adams, and Jackson as well. For those who were unable to pick up their child’s photo with Santa, the photos are available in the Front Office at Community Action Committee of Pike County’s main location at 941 Market Street in Piketon.
