Titans Ready to Rise from Head Start

LCCAA's Hopkins-Locke Head Start Center hosted a Kindergarten Roundup this week to help parents get a Head Start on Kindergarten registration. The event was part of the Rising Titans collaborative among LCCAA, Lorain City Schools and several other partners.

Lorain City Schools, as well as private and charter schools in the city, helped approximately 30 families register for Kindergarten for the 2017-18 school year. 

While parents filled out forms and asked questions, their children were engaged in learning activities set up in the Hopkins-Locke classrooms. 

"Our parents were grateful for the opportunity and attention they received at the Roundup Event," said Akeea Hodges, Site Administrator. "The event gave them a chance to ask in-depth questions and have more time with school representatives than they would in a typical enrollment. Head Start parents are engaged and want to stay that way as their children grow. This was a great next step for our parents."
High School Students Interning in Head Start

Nine high school students from Lorain County JVS have spent two months with LCCAA Head Start teachers in preparation for their own careers.  

The JVS students are all pursuing a National Child Development Associate Certification. The eight week program includes evaluation by both JVS teachers and Head Start teachers. JVS students are required to lead the Head Start students in at least one activity (storytime, morning meeting, etc.).

Moesha Willis, pictured, is a junior at JVS assigned to a classroom at Hopkins-Locke Head Start. 

JVS students were assigned to classrooms in Amherst, Wellington, Lorain and Elyria since Feb. 2. Their placements
end March 23. 
Come See How Wild We Are About Nutrition

LCCAA Head Start is Wild About Health and Nutrition and holding two events to share the enthusiasm with the community. 

LCCAA - Head Start "Wild About Health and Nutrition" events are scheduled for Hopkins-Locke Head Start in Lorain on Tuesday, March 21st and Hamilton Head Start in Elyria on Thursday, March 30th. Both events will start at 5:30 p.m. and end at 7:00 p.m.
 
Head Start "Wild About" events provide opportunities for students and their families to participate in activities related to specific learning objectives. The upcoming event is focused on health and nutrition and there will be plenty of stations/classrooms available for fun, learning, and engagement.

Other Wild About events have focused on literacy, math and science, and enrollment. Meals are always provided, along with family door prizes and event-themed books.
 
Local community partners are invited to exhibit at the events. Contact Rebecca Rodriguez at  440-242-2178 or  rrodriguez@lccaa.net.
Congresswoman Coming to Head Start

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur will visit Lorain to meet the community's youngest readers and encourage their love of books and learning.

The Congresswoman will read to a class of students in celebration of National Literacy Month.

Kaptur has served the 9th Congressional District in Ohio since 1983 and is a strong supporter of LCCAA and its work. 
Winter Utility Help Ends March 31

LCCAA's HEAP Program has distributed just over a quarter of a million dollars in benefits since Nov. 1. 

The Winter Crisis Program provides utility help to customers of regulated utilities annually to help with high costs of high during the coldest months of the year. 

Since Nov. 1, 1,788 clients have received help paying bills with a total of $253,209.56 in funds distributed. Another 942 were enrolled or re-enrolled in the state's PIPP Plus program which reduces utility bills to a percentage of the client's income. 

Residents are urged to call the HEAP hotline at 1-855-806-9620 to make an appointment. The automated line is available 24 hours a days, 7 days a week. To be eligible for help, residents must live at or below 175% of the federal poverty line. 

Appointments and walk-in hours are available at both the Lorain office at 401 Broadway and the Wellington office at 115 Willard Memorial Square. 

For walk-in hours and more information on the program, click here. The program ends March 31.
Lorain County Community Action Agency      440-245-2009