The first reliable data on poverty in Cleveland during the COVID-19 pandemic was released last week. The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 1-year estimates show that nearly 105,000 people in the City of Cleveland lived in poverty in 2021. Of those, more than 33,500 are children. At 45.5 percent, Cleveland has the highest child poverty rate...
Category: Advancing the Well-Being of Older Adults
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Dear County Executive: how will you sustain services for older adults?
By: Rachelle Millner, West Side Community House & Karnese McKenzie, St. Martin de Porres Center Dear County Executive: We are the co-chairs of the Council of Neighborhood Leaders, a collective of local neighborhood centers that collectively assist thousands of families in Cuyahoga County. One of our most delicate populations we serve includes seniors; our elders...
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Dear County Executive: Cleveland’s neighborhood centers are critical safety nets
By: Atunyese Herron, President–CEO of East End Neighborhood House Dear County Executive, In 2022 East End Neighborhood House marked 115 years of service in Cleveland’s Greater Buckeye Neighborhood. We have reached over 1,000 individuals with our diverse array of services, with a staff of 27 and 65 volunteers. We are nestled on Woodhill Road and...
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Dear County Executive: our public benefits recipients need strong advocates. Will you be one?
By Tiffany Scruggs Dear County Executive, I have had the privilege of serving individuals in Cuyahoga County for 20 years! I have seen first-hand the critical health support offered to Medicaid recipients. While the program was created to support income-eligible residents, the process to successfully receive and maintain these critical supports presents its challenges. At...
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Dear County Executive, how will you support older adults?
By: Bert Rahl, LISW-S, Community Volunteer Marsha Mitchell Blanks, Community Volunteer Dear County Executive, We are all aging. Any person who is reading this is aging. Some are at different places in their aging process. But everyone, regardless of where one lives or where they are in life, deserves to age with dignity. The Council...
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Dear County Executive: close gaps in the Medicaid application process for Limited English Proficient residents
By: Elaine Tso, Asian Services in Action (ASIA) Dear County Executive, Asian Services in Action (ASIA), supports immigrants and refugees with various resources, including government benefits. We guide immigrants and refugees through the American system to help them apply for eligible programs and benefits that would improve their life in the United States, such as...
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Dear County Executive, how will you address the inequalities and disparities within our community?
By: Crystal Bryant, Esq. Dear County Executive, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has been in existence since 1909. The Cleveland Branch of the NAACP was founded three years later, in 1912. Since then, the NAACP has prided itself on being a champion for civil rights and the advancement of equity...
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Engaging on ageism in the LGBT community
By: Jax Kelly, AIDS Funding Collaborative Intern/Guest Even prior to Pride, it’s been a busy few months of LGBT events. Jax Kelly, an intern with the AIDS Funding Collaborative, has been making the circuit speaking on HIV, ageism, stigma, and dating. His internship with AFC is part of a practicum as a Master of Public...
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Not So Golden Years: Listening to Ohio’s Hungry Older Adults
By: Sarah Hudacek, Policy Assistant, Advocates for Ohio’s FutureHope A. Lane Gavin, Health Equity Fellow, The Center for Community Solutions Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a myriad of temporary health and human service programming was created to help stabilize families facing unprecedented illness, job loss and closures. Much of this programming was targeted at low-income working...
