Van Wert Expo

Early Wednesday morning, fellow VISTA Maureen and I journeyed, bleary-eyed, the two hours to Van Wert to observe fellow VISTA Sharon (of Lima's West Ohio Food Bank) and our regional coordinator Gayle conduct the first Ohio Benefit Bank Expo of the season.

Expos are events that introduce agencies in under-served OBB counties (counties with very few OBB locations) to what OBB is, explain how they can become a site, and how OBB can be used as a tool within their current operations

The nearest OBB sites to Van Wert are about 20 miles away, so it would be cool if some of the people who attended decide to become trained as counselors, giving folks in town somewhere a little closer to find help.

Here is Russell, one of OBB's Mobile Enrollment Specialists, giving a tour of the OBB Mobile Unit to some of the Expo attendees.



The Mobile Unit drives around the state, setting up shop at various events and doing applications right on the bus. You can read more on its blog here.

Now Maureen and I have to take what we learned from watching in Van Wert and apply it to our own Expos. We have three to plan and host: Wood County in May, Fulton County in June and Henry County in July.

And lots of outreach/preparation work to be done in those counties before then.