Monroe County Student Clothing Program Now Accepting Applications | News, Sports, Jobs

Jeanette Schwall, director of the Monroe County Department of Employment and Family Services, discusses the county’s “back-to-school clothing program” on Monday morning. Commissioners Mick Schumacher are also represented.

WOODSFIELD – The Monroe County Department of Employment and Family Services is helping send students back to class with new clothes for the school year with their “Back to School Clothing Program”.

Eligible families will be able to purchase more clothing and footwear once the program receives increased funding this year. The program provides clothing vouchers to income-eligible families living in County Monroe.

Jeanette Schwall, director of the Monroe County Employment and Family Services Department, discussed the program at the Monroe County Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday. She said eligible families will receive a $ 500 voucher for Gabe’s clothes as well as a $ 200 voucher for shoes which can be spent at the shoe department. Both stores are located at the Ohio Valley Mall in St. Clairsville.

Each eligible child in the household, aged 3 to 18, will receive the vouchers which are valid for clothes, shoes, coats, underwear, socks, belts, backpacks and lunch boxes. Items that can be purchased in the footwear department include shoes, socks, and backpacks.

Schwall said purchase dates have now been extended until Oct. 31 to give families more time to use the vouchers.

To be eligible for the vouchers, the family must reside in the county, have at least one minor resident at home who is enrolled in Kindergarten to Grade 12, and meet income criteria. A table of gross monthly income is available on the department’s website.

In addition to the clothing program, funds are also available for residents eligible under the COVID Hardship program. The county received $ 99,000 under the Prevention, Retention and Emergency Plan to help fund the program. Schwall said there was only one app for the voucher and hardship programs. Families eligible to receive the clothing vouchers will also be eligible for the hardship program, she said.

The amount of funding each family will receive will be determined once the ministry is able to calculate the number of families in need. Schwall said they plan to divide the funds equally among eligible families.

“We’ll figure out how much each family will get at the end of the day, and then we’ll send them a check regardless of the dollar amount. “ she added.

Last year, 276 families were authorized to receive vouchers under the back-to-school program.

“That doesn’t mean it will be the same this year. … If there were 300 eligible families, they would get $ 330 per household ”, she said.

Applications for the programs can be found on the DJFS County website at Monroecountyjfs.com.

In other areas, Mary Jo Westfall, partner in the Monroe County OSU extension office, opened bids for the walking trail improvements. The project estimated at $ 125,654 is funded by the Community Development Block Grant.

Only one offer was received for the project – Shelly & Sands of Rayland for $ 221,009. Westfall noted that the offer is more than 10% higher than the estimated cost. She said she will speak with the village of Woodsfield before making her recommendation.