Fighting poverty in Muskingum County: Local initiatives to support low-income residents
By J.W. Dennison, C.J. Walls & Megan Groves
NEW CONCORD, Ohio—According to the 2022 U.S. Census, 13.4% of Ohioans live below the poverty line, exceeding the national average of 11.5%. Muskingum County’s number is higher still, at 13.7%. In New Concord, the number is 12%, which means more than one in eight people struggle to meet their basic financial needs.
In 2022, the U.S. Census Department set the poverty line for a family of four at $34,688 per annum, while the poverty level for a single person is $16,988 per year.
According to an article by Forbes magazine, the cost of living in Ohio is $36,932. Forbes defines cost of living as “the average amount one can expect to spend on essential expenses while maintaining a reasonable lifestyle in a particular location during a specific period.” This shows that the current poverty line is half the actual cost of living in Ohio and that one in eight Ohioans needs help securing basic needs.
This article aims to highlight resources available to those living below the poverty line on campus and in the Muskingum County community.
Data on poverty rates and cost of living in Ohio
Muskingum County Jobs and Family Services
The Muskingum County Jobs and Family Services, located at 445 Woodlawn Avenue in Zanesville, is one of the primary sources of assistance for those living below the poverty line.
This office helps connect people with financial difficulties with programs such as Medicaid for healthcare, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) for food, and the Comprehensive Case Management and Employment Program (CCMEP).
CCMEP aims to improve employment and education outcomes for people between the ages of 16 and 24. The services address factors such as housing, education, transportation, addiction/substance abuse issues, and overall health concerns that may impact their ability to work and support themselves.
“But that program only goes up to age 24, and we've had a lot of success with that, but it would be nice to be able to have options to help you know people a little bit older,” said Gina Stotts, the public assistance administrator for Muskingum County Jobs and Family Services.
Gina Stotts is the public assistant administrator for Muskingum County Jobs and Family Services / Photo by J.W. Dennison
According to Stotts, 36% of the county is on Medicaid, and more than 50% of newborns are born into the program. 100 people are enrolled in CCMEP, hoping to improve their situation, and 16% of the county is on SNAP despite the 5.2% unemployment rate in the county.
Homeless Hands of Zanesville
Another resource available for individuals dealing with homelessness in Muskingum County is the Homeless Hands of Zanesville.
The Homeless Hands of Zanesville is a nonprofit organization founded in November 2016 by Tammy Clark. The organization works to rebuild the lives of over 300 homeless people by providing healthcare, jobs, or housing for each person’s individual needs. They started Homeless Hands of Zanesville by giving out Christmas presents and realized that many of the situations homeless people live in are fixable.
“It [transitional house] is a private residence, and we are allowed to have three at a time living there as we help them, and they all have a case plan each week,” Clark said. “We've done it many times, but it is more difficult to go straight from the street into housing.”
The Homeless Hands of Zanesville also assists individuals in accessing their birth certificates and social security cards, budgeting and saving using budget planners, transportation, and providing healthcare. The organization has a doctor and two nurse practitioners who check in with patients weekly.
The Homeless Hands of Zanesville is located at 1351 Greenwood Ave in Zanesville and can be contacted at (740) 617-7164.
Resources on Muskingum University’s campus
Muskingum University also has resources for students who face economic difficulties. One initiative is the Bare Necessities Stations in Brown Chapel and Montgomery Hall, where students can collect free essentials like personal hygiene products.
A Bare Essentials station is located in Montgomery Hall outside Counseling Services. A similar station is located at the commuter lounge in Brown Chapel / Photo by J.W. Dennison
Muskingum’s Impact Center offers students access to professional attire through the “student closet” program. The Impact Center serves as a career starter for students and as a way for employers to connect with students providing career education, experiential learning, community partnerships, and student engagement in preparation for employment as well as support for regional workforce and economic development.
The Impact Center helps prepare students for job interviews and presentations. If they cannot afford professional clothing, the Student Closet at the Impact Center, located at the bottom of Brown Chapel, offers students access to a selection of donated clothing items.
Director of Career Services Jacquelyn Vascura oversees the Student Closet program. Students can tell Vascura what type of clothing they need, and she will provide them with the desired clothing if they have it in the student’s size.
The Student Closet clothing is a donation system that allows students to keep the clothing if they choose to. The clothes are donated to the student closet because how students present themselves can help or hurt their opportunities.
“And if it's because they don't have clothes, then I don't want that to be the barrier. I want to help reduce that barrier and help them to get that and move on and if it's they need help with the resume, I'm here to help them with that,” Vascura said.
Though there are resources available for homeless people and people living in poverty, sometimes it is difficult to access them because there are certain obstacles that stand in the way.
One obstacle homeless people face when trying to find affordable housing is past felonies. If a person has ever been convicted of a felony, they are not eligible for affordable housing. It is also difficult for homeless people to get and maintain jobs because they do not have an address to use when filling out paperwork or applying for jobs. If they do get a job, it can be hard to maintain if they do not have reliable transportation.
People in the community can help people struggling with homelessness and people living in poverty by volunteering at churches, food banks, and shelters. While finding time to help these organizations may be challenging, you can still help by donating food, clothing, and funds—even small donations can have a big impact.
