Free Classes & Info Sessions
Our Family Stabilization & Support (FSS) staff coordinate an ongoing series of classes and informational sessions that are free for anyone to attend.
Most sessions focus on wellness and stress management, financial empowerment, health and nutrition. Some are led by CSSMV staff, while others have guest presenters from the Ohio State University Extension Office, Day Air Credit Union, and other community partners. The selection of topics is driven by the interest level of our clients and community members.
Attendance is not limited to CSSMV clients. Other agencies are welcome to share our event schedules with their own clients, and anyone from the general public is welcome to attend any session that’s of interest. We only ask that those planning to attend RSVP in advance so we can plan accordingly, and so that we can notify them of any unexpected changes in the class date or time.
Classes offered by other programs within CSSMV, such as Parenting, are also included in our class listings when they are free and open to the public.
Utility Assistance
Neighbors Helping Neighbors is a great program because it benefits the working poor. If an obstacle gets in their way, we’re here to help them get through it. This is a great safety net to help them remain afloat during tough times.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors is Catholic Social Services’ utility assistance program. The idea is that people who can normally make ends meet sometimes fall behind financially due to unusual and unexpected circumstances.
The Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) program can provide limited funds for households that are unable to pay the bill for their electric, gas or water service, and who will be able to get financially back on track with just this small bit of assistance.
Those seeking help call the NHN hotline and go through a screening process to see if they qualify for the program. If approved, they come to CSSMV and work with a case manager to set financial goals and a household budget. The intent is for the client to continue making financial progress beyond the month of the utility assistance.
How to Apply for Assistance:
The first criterion for eligibility is that you must live in one of the following Dayton (Ohio) zip codes: 45402, 45403, 45405, 45406, 45417 or 45428.
Screening calls are accepted on Mondays only, from 8:30 a.m. until appointments for the week have been filled. (This usually happens very quickly.) The number to call is (937) 223-7217 ext.1102. Walk-ins are not accepted.
During this time, calls are answered live by program screening staff. There is no option for callers to leave a message. If you get a busy signal, keep calling back. If necessary, you can try again the following week.
Appointments for the week are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, for those who meet the eligibility criteria for the program. Holidays and funding variation may impact scheduling; changes in the schedule will be posted in the recorded message you’ll hear when you call.
FoodSource
Staff in our Northern Counties office launched FoodSource as a small pilot program in 2017. Managed in cooperation with the Shared Harvest Food Bank and the Western Ohio Foodbank, the program helps meet the food insecurity challenges of isolated, low-income seniors. Once a month, 40-pound boxes of staple food items are delivered to people in need in Darke, Shelby and Miami Counties. At this time, the program serves individuals over the age of 60 who are isolated. An assessment is completed to determine need and slot availability.
CSSMV’s experience operating their Choice Food Pantry in Dayton, along with their experience serving seniors in the rural counties, makes them a perfect partner for Shared Harvest to meet the growing number of people who are experiencing food insecurity in rural communities.
Family Stabilization & Support
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you accept walk-ins?
We only accept walk-ins on Mondays between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon, on a first-come, first-served basis.
We do NOT accept walk-ins for utility assistance; CLICK HERE for more information.
In general, we recommend that you make an appointment so that a case manager can have ample time to spend with you and help you with your needs. This also allows the case manager to plan ahead for your visit, and have relevant information and materials ready for you when you arrive.
Do you provide financial assistance?
The only financial assistance we are able to provide is limited utility assistance through our Neighbors Helping Neighbors program. (CLICK HERE for more information.)
Can you help me create a household budget?
Yes! We believe that financial empowerment is an incredibly important goal for our FSS clients. This may or may not be one of the first steps in your case management plan, depending on your unique situation.
What are "Budget Bucks"?
Individuals who attend our FSS classes, information sessions and other events earn Budget Bucks for each session they attend. You can redeem your Budget Bucks at the “Budget Bucks Boutique” for various household and personal items such as cooking utensils, towels, and jewelry.
The goal of our Family Stabilization & Support (FSS) program is to help our clients escape the vicious cycle of poverty by building on their own strengths and their aspirations for themselves and their families. Many of the people we serve struggle with unemployment or underemployment, lack of education and job skills, poor health and nutrition, lack of access to transportation, and unstable housing situations. Some have a background of multi-generational poverty, while others have experienced a series of life events that have taken their lives in the wrong direction. Our job is to help them identify and set realistic goals that will allow them to take positive steps toward making a better life for themselves and their families. Clients who choose to work one-on-one with our FSS case managers might receive help identifying the next steps to improve their employment or housing situation, continuing their education, or learning to set and follow a budget. Our case managers also utilize the Ohio Benefit Bank to connect families and individuals to benefits for which they are eligible. Sometimes for a person who is feeling overwhelmed by problems and challenges, the first step is simply figuring out where to start. Recognizing that a group setting can sometimes be less intimidating for clients, the FSS team also offers a variety of resource event sessions focusing on topics such as wellness and stress management, financial empowerment, health and nutrition.
Resources offered through FSS include:
Families Forward at Kiser Elementary
In 2017, with support from Montgomery County Human Services, we launched a pilot program called “Families Forward” at Kiser Elementary in North Dayton. The goal is to provide parents with resources and goal-setting supports that will result in more stable home environments, greater stability in school enrollment and attendance, and improved educational outcomes.
All families at Kiser are invited to participate in the program through family engagement events. Each event features a family-centered activity and a healthy meal provided by The House of Bread. Families are encouraged to continue supporting and engaging in their children’s education, and are offered services if they have specific needs.
A full-time Family Advocate engages with parents as they work toward goals for their families and helps them decrease the obstacles that can get in their way. When needed, she also helps them learn about and gain access to community resources like food and clothing pantries and utility assistance programs. She is available to assist with developing a household budget, and can work with them to complete public benefit applications.
Kiser Elementary was chosen for the pilot because the students and families there are diverse, with over 40% of its approximately 560 students coming from immigrant or refugee families and 33% being English Language Learners. This diversity presents an opportunity for CSSMV to help families who are still adjusting to life in the United States.
A program collaborator, the University of Dayton’s Empowering Children with Hope and Opportunity (ECHO), expands the project reach by offering similar supportive services at four urban Catholic schools in Dayton.
Choice Food Pantry
COVID-19 UPDATE
The health and safety of our clients, staff and volunteers are of paramount importance to us. Our Choice Food Pantry in Dayton is open during normal hours, but in order to reduce person-to-person contact as much as possible, we are providing prepackaged boxes of food instead of operating under our normal “choice” model.
Catholic Social Services’ Choice Food Pantry is one of the busiest pantries in Montgomery County, serving residents of neighborhoods in west and northwest Dayton with especially high rates of poverty, unemployment and underemployment.
While many food pantries are only open once or twice a week, we are open Monday through Friday mornings to meet the needs of our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. (The only exceptions are major holidays and the first Friday of each month.)
Pantry clients include the working poor, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities. Clients can also access the services of a case manager who can provide information and linkages to other necessary social service programs, and can also provide one-on-one case management through our Family Stabilization & Support program.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the pantry open?
Our pantry is open on Monday through Friday, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
We are CLOSED on the first Friday of every month, and on major holidays.
How much food do you give people?
Those who are eligible to access our pantry can receive full service once every 30 days. Based on the size of the household, we provide enough food to last for about five days. Emergency food pantries like ours are designed to supplement the food people can purchase for themselves with their own income and other benefits like SNAP.
We do also make fresh produce available on a daily basis, with no restriction on how often clients can come back for just these items.
What if I‘m homebound and can’t get to the pantry?
If you are homebound, you must send us the following items along with a signed note requesting service and a phone number where we can contact you.
- ID for all members of the household — photo ID for adults; insurance cards for children
- Proof of your address in one of our service zip codes
- Documentation of household income below 200% of poverty level
Call (937) 223-7217 ext.1144 if you have questions about this documentation.
What if I need food, but don’t live in your service area?
Area food pantries are designated to serve residents of specific zip codes. If you live in the Dayton area and need to find a food pantry for your zip code, you can call United Way’s 24-hour “HelpLink 2-1-1” service, at (937) 225-3000.
What is a "choice" pantry?
Instead of receiving a pre-packaged box or bag of groceries from our pantry, our clients get to select the items they want based on their household size. The “choice” model respects the dignity of the client, and also helps reduce waste, as people aren’t taking home food items their families don’t like or might even be allergic to.
Where does the food come from?
Most of the food we distribute comes to us through The Foodbank. We also receive donations from individuals, families, churches, businesses, schools and other community partners. Because we sometimes have need of items that have not come to us through these sources, we do also supplement our pantry shelves with items purchased through a wholesale source.
Can I volunteer in the pantry?
The Choice Food Pantry relies on many volunteers, and we’re always looking for more. We work with both individuals and groups, and volunteer service can be a one-time or ongoing opportunity. Call our volunteer coordinator at (937) 223-7217 ext.1130 for more information.
How many people does CSSMV’s pantry serve?
Here are some statistics from 2019:
- 15,887 unduplicated* clients were served.
- 6,087 unique* families/households were served.
- We made 1,010 service referrals so pantry clients could get additional assistance from other programs or agencies.
*Each client or family/household was only counted once, regardless of the number of times they were served by the pantry.
Eckerle Administration Center
922 West Riverview Avenue
Dayton, OH 45402
(937) 223-7217 or (800) 300-2937
General email: cssmv@cssmv.org