`

Oberlin Community Service

Tax Clinics

Oberlin Community Services would like to thank this year’s volunteer tax counselors and food donors, Subway and Domino’s, for their generous community support. From February to April, OCS held six free Ohio Benefit Bank federal and state tax clinics for residents of southern Lorain County through a partnership with the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks. This year, Oberlin Community Services served 82 households, who collectively claimed $116,031 in tax returns. Tax returns often go unclaimed; last year, $2 billion in tax and other credits went unclaimed in Ohio. Thanks to the efforts of our volunteer tax counselors, food donors, and partners, we were able to make sure that local area residents had access to free assistance in filing their taxes.

Family Nutrition Program

Join us at 5:00pm on the first and third Tuesday of every month for our family nutrition program and extended pantry hours (5p-7p). Marcia Kubach of the Ohio State University Extension Office will run a cooking and nutrition demonstration. If you are interested in attending RSVP to Oberlin Community Services.

As always, the Choice Pantry is also open Monday through Friday 9:00 am to noon and 1:00 to 5:00 pm.

Oberlin Community Services serves income-eligible residents of southern Lorain County to include the cities of Oberlin and Wellington and the following townships: Brighton, Camden, Carlisle, Huntington, Kipton, LaGrange, New Russia, Penfield, Pittsfield, and Rochester.

About OCS

Oberlin Community Services is a responsive community organization that provides direct assistance, referrals, outreach services and educational support to Oberlin, New Russia Township, and southern Lorain County residents who seek help meeting basic needs.

Since 1955, Oberlin Community Services (OCS) has supported the community in sensitive and caring ways. The OCS staff, Oberlin College work-study students, and more than a hundred volunteers join forces with schools, churches, medical and social service providers, civic groups, businesses, and government to offer a wide array of services to low-income citizens of Oberlin and Southern Lorain County.

unloading food

The need is greater than ever today.

OCS provides a safety net to help people get back on their feet. We assist with food, housing, utilities, clothes, transportation, medicine, counseling, and much more. This year the staff met with more than 100 clients each month, a quarter of whom had never needed assistance before.

As the economy worsens, more people are left behind.
* Nearly 20 percent of all Oberlin residents live in poverty.
* More than half of public school children in Oberlin qualify for free or reduced-cost lunches because their families are poor.

These are our neighbors.

The poor and least powerful are often invisible in our community: older people who need help with food, utility bills or medicines, the newly unemployed, or those who need help with mortgages or rent payments.

You can help.

OCS relies entirely on donations and grants to meet its budget. Through your job, church, club, school, civic group, or on-line donation, you can help. Contributions are needed, and donations are tax deductible.