Jobs and Family Services Speaker

Today Nick from Athens County Jobs and Family Services came to talk to us about his job and more specifically the food assistance programs. He spoke about the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) as well as some other options his workplace offers such as: medicaid, adult education, childcare, and job training. He mentioned that their funds are from the Federal and State government. The purpose and mission of his workplace is to help families and individuals with finding work as well as providing them with needs to live a healthier life. There are many programs that are available, however there are certain requirements that are needed to be eligible. For example, cash assistance can only be given to individuals with children. Also, there are certain guidelines that must be followed along with the specific program.

Job and Family Services receives orders from the State and Federal government. They are monitored and evaluated by the State government, which then relays the information to the Federal government. Monitoring and evaluation is important to make sure that no one is abusing the benefits and to check for errors in the system. Changes can then be made based on need. For example, more money could be allotted to a certain program based on word from the Federal government. Nick was also asked about the role of the nutrition professional in his workplace. I was interested to hear that they do not currently have a registered dietitian on staff. He said that they are provided with nutritional materials from the state which are passed on to the clients. I think they could benefit from an RD on staff, and there is a place for a nutrition professional in this field.