Meredith R. Lawson-Rowe News

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Meredith Lawson-Rowe (D-Reynoldsburg) today announced that Hamilton Township will receive a $75,000 grant for the renovation of its local park, funded through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Meredith R. Lawson-Rowe (D-Reynoldsburg) today released the following statement after Governor Mike DeWine signed an executive order directing the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) giving $7M though the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to various Ohio food banks and up to $18M in funds to Ohioans who are at or below 50% of the federal poverty level who already qualify for Ohio Works First (OWF) cash assistance. While 63,000 of the 1.4 million Ohioans on SNAP may be provided some relief due to this effort, excluding 529,000 children who are currently on SNAP, the $18M in emergency funds does not go far enough to support those living just at the federal poverty level. For example, a family of four making roughly $17,000/year or more will not be eligible for this benefit. While a small step in the right direction, this insufficient allocation of funds is hardly enough to address the urgency of this crisis in the state.