Senator Sherrod Brown

Social Services

Benefit Banks: Helping connect families to vital resources in Ohio

For hard-working Ohioans, it is often difficult to take time off work to go from agency to agency applying for the temporary assistance they need as they struggle to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Applications for assistance can be confusing and eligibility can be complicated to determine. Many people bypass federal and state assistance because the application process is so daunting. Others simply don’t know what programs are out there, or if they are eligible for those programs.

Based on current estimates, there are 530,000 eligible Ohioans who have not applied for food stamps, 185,000 eligible Ohioans who do not receive the Earned Income Tax Credit, and an estimated 100,000 eligible adults and 150,000 eligible children in Ohio who do not get state-funded health insurance.
Ohio Benefit Bank, with 570 locations throughout the state, was created to make applying for benefits and obtaining eligibility information easier. Through a computer program, and with the assistance of a trained professional, Ohioans can navigate the Benefit Bank system for free and with ease to successfully learn their eligibility and even apply for some public benefits directly. The Ohio Benefit Bank network can also assist with the preparation of tax forms.

For more information or to locate a Benefit Bank near your home, go to www.obb.ohio.gov.

Earned Income Tax Credit

Tax time is the right time for Ohio's workers to learn more about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) - a federal tax credit recognizing the economic contributions of working families.

For 2008 earnings, the maximum credit is just over $4,800, and families with incomes up to almost $40,000 may qualify. The EITC is refundable, so you may be able to claim it even if you do not owe taxes.

As many as 25% of eligible Ohioans do not claim the EITC. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) estimates that more than $180 million that could have been refunded to Ohio families in 2000 stayed in Washington instead.

I am working with state and local governments and community organizations to raise awareness of the EITC and encourage eligible Ohioans to apply. You can learn more about the EITC here:

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., has developed an online interactive EITC estimator. You can use this tool to calculate your 2007 EITC.
The IRS' answers EITC questions and provides an estimator as well. For more detailed questions of EITC eligibility, see IRS Publication 596.

Food Stamps

The Food Stamp Program is our nation’s first line of defense against hunger. For millions of American children and their families, food stamps are a lifeline, providing desperately needed access to a basic necessity.

Although the Food Stamp Program is a critical part of our nation’s safety net, it has been woefully under funded. Benefit levels are too low and many people who need help are not eligible and fall through the cracks because of the complicated eligibility process.

In Ohio last year, Food Stamp benefits only lasted two and a half weeks each month and provided about $1 per person per meal. The consequences of hunger are real, particularly for children. Hunger breeds sickness, compromises the ability to learn, and fuels serious behavioral problems.

As a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, I worked hard to raise the benefit levels and index those benefits to inflation to meet the rising costs of food and other expenses Through reforms in the 2008 Farm Bill. The improved food stamp program now also includes a deduction for childcare and health care expenses so more families can gain eligibility. In a country as vibrant and wealthy as the United States, there is no reason why any man, woman, or child should go to bed hungry.

Summer Food Program

We are the wealthiest nation in the world, yet many Ohio children and families go to bed hungry. With the rise in food prices, Ohio is seeing a steep increase in the demand for food assistance. Working families are struggling to make their paychecks stretch to the end of the month. Almost half of Ohioans living in poverty are under 24 years old. Proper nutrition is the fuel that enables a child to learn and grow. Our nation is stronger for every child who is unencumbered by hunger and empowered to realize their full potential.

The Ohio Department of Education oversees the School Lunch Program, which provides free and reduced meals to children from low-income families. Last school year, more than 500,000 school lunches were served for free or at a reduced price each day. But while all children eligible for free or reduced lunches are automatically eligible for the Summer Food Service program, the number served drops dramatically in the summer months. Last summer, the average daily attendance at summer feeding sites across Ohio was only 57,000 out of the eligible 500,000.

Families often don’t seek out -- or are unaware of -- Summer Food Service sites although there are at least 200 sites across the state. To locate a local feeding site click here. Most local Summer Feeding sites are also seeking volunteers to assist in meal preparation and serving. Increased utilization of Summer Feeding sites can relieve families feeling the strain from rising food and energy costs. It means children who aren’t getting the food they need to grow up healthy can eat. We must do all we can to make sure that no Ohio child goes hungry.