WOSU News » non-profit

Ohio Charity Changes Lives With Customized Products

WOSU News Staff — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:21:26 +0000

There’s a charity in southwest Ohio that works to help the disabled by customizing the devices and equipment they use most.

From public radio station WNKU, Sherry Lawson reports on the work by volunteers at May We Help.

Homeless Advocates Brace For More Demand, Less Funding

Bill Cohen — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:52:11 +0000

Advocates for Ohio’s homeless have some bleak predictions about the problem here. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports advocates are getting ready to help more people with less money.

What’s The Best Way To Help The Homeless?

Steve Brown — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:47:08 +0000

Advocates for the homeless say demand for services is up. At the same time, they’re expecting decreased funding from government agencies. Our question to you: what’s the best way to help the homeless?

Ohio’s Charitable Foundations Asked to Do More With Less

Bill Cohen — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0000

With Ohio’s economy crumbling, charities and non-profit groups are being asked to do more than ever. But, ironically, they may have less money to do their work. That’s because some of the charities’ biggest contributors – giant charitable foundations- are also feeling a financial pinch. There are 3100 charitable foundations across Ohio. George Espy is President of their trade organization – the Ohio Grantmakers Forum. He talked with Ohio Public Radio’s Bill Cohen.

Espy says the charitable foundations will try to weather the financial storm by cutting their administrative expenses and by encouraging the non-profit groups they serve to collaborate more.

College seniors explore non-profit sector

Alaina Busch — Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

In the lounge area of Otterbein’s Campus Center a handful of students mill around about 20 booths for potential employers. Agencies like Americorps, COSI, and other community based organizations try to promote opportunities with their companies.

“Feel free to take a keychain or some candy and we have two part-time positions that are open right now–paid positions.”

Kristin Key and Chaleese Robertson have a booth with Lifecare Alliance, a non-profit home healthcare provider. They have a poster, handouts and what Robertson says is their key to recruiting.

“Candy,” she said. “Candy and gifts.”

Even though they tend of have lower profiles and offer lower salaries than big corporations, Robertson say non profits are not having trouble recruiting workers

“We get kinda an overabundance of applications,” she said. “It’s just trying to find the right candidate.”

Otterbein students graduate June 15. During the next month, universities all over Ohio will hold commencements. Ohio State will graduate about 75 hundred students on June 8. And students are feeling the pressure to find jobs. Some are looking to non profits and their reasons differ. Lianne Simeone studies Communication at Otterbein and will graduate next month. She has worked in the non-profit sector before but she says she came to the career fair for a simple reason – to explore all of her options.

“I’m kinda freaking out cause I don’t know what to do,” she said.

Joe McDaniels is a Political Science and Psychology student. He says his friends are struggling with the job search so he’s trying a different approach.

“Working in the non-profit sector for a year will give me some of that career experience that the jobs out there, the people who are hiring for the higher up position, the professional positions we all want, are looking for,” he said. “And that seems to be the roadblock when you’re coming out of college.” br>

McDaniels says he’s considering work as a legal aid before possibly entering law school. He says he wants to give back to the community, and, at his age, he says he’s not concerned about the salary, which tends to be lower at a non-profit.

“I can afford to live at the poverty level for a year while later on in life that may not be the case so if I want to do this kind of work now is the time I have to do it,” he said.