Local Charities Join Forces To Better Serve The Less Fortunate
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Combined Community Services has assisted more than 5,200 households so far this year.
The Salvation Army helps 160 families each month, Our Father's House provides food for an average of 50 families each day and Helping Hands of Mentone serves 150 families in the Tippecanoe Valley school district.
"We've been seeing five new families each week," Mary Secrist of Helping Hands said this week. "We'll provide Thanksgiving Day food beginning Nov. 25."
The Mentone-based charity will have food Dec. 20 for all families of the Tippecanoe Valley school district needing assistance. Gifts will be distributed as they are available.
More families are expected to feel a financial pinch as utility rates increase for heating during cold weather months.
"Unemployment in Kosciusko County is still up and many of our neighbors are either unemployed or underemployed," said Darlene Redinger of CCS.
As the holiday season approaches, the charities are marshaling their forces and resources to offer aid to the less fortunate.
The Salvation Army will serve as a "clearinghouse" for the organizations so services and programs aren't duplicated or artificially inflated.
Groups, clubs, churches and individuals planning a Christmas outreach are encouraged to contact Ken Locke to share information to maximize resources for the holiday season.
Most of the assistance programs help households with incomes at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty level.
County-area residents who meet the criteria for assistance are encouraged to choose one of the following options:
• The Angel Tree, sponsored by the Salvation Army, for children up to 12 years old. The information gathered includes the child's name, age, sex and a toy the child would like. Applications are being taken now through Dec. 6.
• Our Father's House provides a complete Christmas dinner and gifts for children. Applications will be taken in person at 2234 E. Center St. in Warsaw.
• Adopt a Family is a CCS program. An entire family is "adopted" by a club, business, church group or individual. The adopter provides Christmas dinner and gifts. The adopter can choose to meet the family or remain anonymous. Prospective adopters can view applications now until all families are adopted.
The Salvation Army will kick off its Tree of Lights campaign Friday.
The WRSW-sponsored Food-A-Thon held earlier this month collected four pickup loads of food and more than $4,000 in cash donations.
Warsaw Christian School also provided two pickup loads of food.!end
County Discusses Possibility Of Grant For New Voting Machines
BY DAVID SLONE, Times-Union Staff Writer
Brad Jackson, Kosciusko County Northern District commissioner, said Tuesday he doesn't think the nation should have to spend so much money on new voting machines just because a few counties in Florida are too ignorant to vote correctly.
The comment came after County Clerk Sharon Christner explained to the commissioners about the federal government possibly reimbursing counties up to 95 percent of their costs for new election systems.
For Kosciusko County to be considered for the reimbursement, Christner said, the county has to have its application in by Jan. 1. Even though the county doesn't have a new system and isn't under contract to get one yet, Christner said, Brad King from the state election division told her the county should go ahead and apply.
By 2004, all counties must get rid of the current punch cards, or any votes in the county for a federal election will not be counted.
Christner told the commissioners the application needs the commissioners' approval before she can apply for the reimbursement. She will attend a meeting Dec. 8-10 for more information on the matter.
Jackson said the county still has to talk about what system to get. Middle district commissioner Ron Truex said the commissioners don't know if they will buy or lease new election systems.
Christner told the commissioners the county must have one machine for every 250 voters.
The commissioners decided to meet with Christner on the issue sometime before the next commissioners meeting and discuss the issue further.
In other business, the county commissioners:
• Approved repealing stop signs at railroad crossings on CRs 300E and 250E because lights and gates have been installed at those crossings.
• Approved the snow and ice control policy for the county highway department.
• Approved accepting several roads in North Winds Subdivision into the county maintenance system.
• Approved Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine's contract for 2003.
• Approved paying a bill for courtroom equipment totaling approximately $48,000.
• Approved hearing rezonings from now on at 9:30 a.m. during their meetings instead of at 10 a.m.
• Approved Bill Batalis' petition to rezone 4.14 acres from an industrial II district to a commercial district. The property is on the south side of CR 100S in Wayne Township.
• Approved Jerry Ferguson's petition to rezone ground from an industrial II district to a commercial district. The property is on the south side of Bell Drive and zero feet east of Biomet Drive in Plain Township.
• Approved Dean Greene's petition to rezone ground from an agricultural district to a residential district. The property is on the east side of EMS T26B Lane in Plain Township.
Kosciusko County Commissioners are Jackson, Truex and southern district commissioner Avis Gunter. They meet at 9 a.m. in the county courthouse every other Tuesday. [[In-content Ad]]
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Combined Community Services has assisted more than 5,200 households so far this year.
The Salvation Army helps 160 families each month, Our Father's House provides food for an average of 50 families each day and Helping Hands of Mentone serves 150 families in the Tippecanoe Valley school district.
"We've been seeing five new families each week," Mary Secrist of Helping Hands said this week. "We'll provide Thanksgiving Day food beginning Nov. 25."
The Mentone-based charity will have food Dec. 20 for all families of the Tippecanoe Valley school district needing assistance. Gifts will be distributed as they are available.
More families are expected to feel a financial pinch as utility rates increase for heating during cold weather months.
"Unemployment in Kosciusko County is still up and many of our neighbors are either unemployed or underemployed," said Darlene Redinger of CCS.
As the holiday season approaches, the charities are marshaling their forces and resources to offer aid to the less fortunate.
The Salvation Army will serve as a "clearinghouse" for the organizations so services and programs aren't duplicated or artificially inflated.
Groups, clubs, churches and individuals planning a Christmas outreach are encouraged to contact Ken Locke to share information to maximize resources for the holiday season.
Most of the assistance programs help households with incomes at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty level.
County-area residents who meet the criteria for assistance are encouraged to choose one of the following options:
• The Angel Tree, sponsored by the Salvation Army, for children up to 12 years old. The information gathered includes the child's name, age, sex and a toy the child would like. Applications are being taken now through Dec. 6.
• Our Father's House provides a complete Christmas dinner and gifts for children. Applications will be taken in person at 2234 E. Center St. in Warsaw.
• Adopt a Family is a CCS program. An entire family is "adopted" by a club, business, church group or individual. The adopter provides Christmas dinner and gifts. The adopter can choose to meet the family or remain anonymous. Prospective adopters can view applications now until all families are adopted.
The Salvation Army will kick off its Tree of Lights campaign Friday.
The WRSW-sponsored Food-A-Thon held earlier this month collected four pickup loads of food and more than $4,000 in cash donations.
Warsaw Christian School also provided two pickup loads of food.!end
County Discusses Possibility Of Grant For New Voting Machines
BY DAVID SLONE, Times-Union Staff Writer
Brad Jackson, Kosciusko County Northern District commissioner, said Tuesday he doesn't think the nation should have to spend so much money on new voting machines just because a few counties in Florida are too ignorant to vote correctly.
The comment came after County Clerk Sharon Christner explained to the commissioners about the federal government possibly reimbursing counties up to 95 percent of their costs for new election systems.
For Kosciusko County to be considered for the reimbursement, Christner said, the county has to have its application in by Jan. 1. Even though the county doesn't have a new system and isn't under contract to get one yet, Christner said, Brad King from the state election division told her the county should go ahead and apply.
By 2004, all counties must get rid of the current punch cards, or any votes in the county for a federal election will not be counted.
Christner told the commissioners the application needs the commissioners' approval before she can apply for the reimbursement. She will attend a meeting Dec. 8-10 for more information on the matter.
Jackson said the county still has to talk about what system to get. Middle district commissioner Ron Truex said the commissioners don't know if they will buy or lease new election systems.
Christner told the commissioners the county must have one machine for every 250 voters.
The commissioners decided to meet with Christner on the issue sometime before the next commissioners meeting and discuss the issue further.
In other business, the county commissioners:
• Approved repealing stop signs at railroad crossings on CRs 300E and 250E because lights and gates have been installed at those crossings.
• Approved the snow and ice control policy for the county highway department.
• Approved accepting several roads in North Winds Subdivision into the county maintenance system.
• Approved Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine's contract for 2003.
• Approved paying a bill for courtroom equipment totaling approximately $48,000.
• Approved hearing rezonings from now on at 9:30 a.m. during their meetings instead of at 10 a.m.
• Approved Bill Batalis' petition to rezone 4.14 acres from an industrial II district to a commercial district. The property is on the south side of CR 100S in Wayne Township.
• Approved Jerry Ferguson's petition to rezone ground from an industrial II district to a commercial district. The property is on the south side of Bell Drive and zero feet east of Biomet Drive in Plain Township.
• Approved Dean Greene's petition to rezone ground from an agricultural district to a residential district. The property is on the east side of EMS T26B Lane in Plain Township.
Kosciusko County Commissioners are Jackson, Truex and southern district commissioner Avis Gunter. They meet at 9 a.m. in the county courthouse every other Tuesday. [[In-content Ad]]