Hamilton County, Ohio

Hamilton County currently has more than 100,000 food assistance recipients, a number that has only recently show significant decrease with improvement in the economy. But some long-time food assistance recipients are driving themselves right out of the program through a new (Fall 2016) partnership between Hamilton County Job and Family Services, the state of Ohio and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. This partnership, the first of its kind in Ohio, and has led to 11 food assistance recipients completing truck driving school, with six already employed in jobs paying more than $47,000 a year. Each person who completes this program is someone who will be able to provide not only food for their family, but the extras that will improve their quality of life. Stronger families mean stronger communities! The seeds of the partnership were planted last spring when Hamilton County requested the state of Ohio provide $50,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training Funds to match an existing $50,000. The funds cover tuition for a $4,000, five-week course (80 hours in the classroom and 120 hours on the equipment) at Napier Truck Driving Training, Inc., books and other fees needed to prepare for, and pass, a Commercial Drivers’ License test. The county targeted food assistance recipients for the training. Families earning 130 percent of the federal poverty level or less are eligible for food assistance. That means a family of four must earn less than $32,000 annually to be eligible. That family would receive a maximum monthly allotment of about $650, or about $21 a day, to feed their family. So far, of the 11 people who have completed the full-time training course, six have passed all sections of the CDL test, been awarded Class A licenses and are working full time in jobs paying $906 per week, or $47,112 annually.

Contact: 
Mr. Brian Gregg 
Chief Communications Officer