Each year, August is a month of preparation.  Our Head Start Program is getting ready for the new school year: recruiting and enrolling new students, training staff, and organizing our classrooms.  The Energy Assistance Cooling Program comes to a close, and we start printing applications and stuffing envelopes for the upcoming Winter Program.  La Casa Amiga is gearing up for their annual Hispanic Cultural Awareness Festival the following month: finding music, food, and booths to fill up the Broadway Fountain Square.  Our Weatherization staff are getting ready for the program year’s close in September: inspecting, weatherizing, and auditing homes before the deadline.  Through all this hard work, we had a really amazing month here at OVO.  Here are some of the great successes we had during the month of August:

• On August 26th, we held our first ever Employee Morale, Wellness, and Training Event.  Staff, Board members, and community guests enjoyed an awesome training event at CERAland in Columbus, Indiana.  The group received valuable training, discussed 2016 highlights and program successes throughout the year, and enjoyed the recreational activities available at the park.
• Our Section 8 Program housed 7 new families in the month of August.
• During the Summer Cooling Program, we sent out a client satisfaction survey to all those assisted through our Energy Assistance Program.  So far in August, over 300 completed surveys have been returned to us!  We love being able to receive feedback from those we serve in order to make sure we are providing the highest quality services.
• Project LIVE was able to assist another Section 8 families with their lease deposit!  Project LIVE is supported by funding from the Scott County United Way and assists eligible households with lease deposits that allow them to enter into lease agreements and utilize their Section 8 vouchers.
• Families had a great time at Icing Swirls with the Girls!  This event was the third in a series of free family oriented events offered by OVO through support provided by the Women’s Giving Circle of Jefferson County and the Community Foundation of Madison and Jefferson County.  Mother/daughter pairs enjoyed a 2-hour cake decorating class at The Sweeter Life in Downtown Madison.  Tasty treats and special memories were made by all!  In September, we will be offering a second iteration of this class for boys and girls and their mothers on the 18th.
• We are gearing up for the Winter Energy Assistance Program and have sent 1,861 applications to elderly and disabled households this month.  We are incredibly grateful to the Madison Area Chamber of Commerce for their bulk mailing service that saved us over 56% on our postage costs for this mailing!
• We kicked off the new Head Start school year with an awesome Pre-Service!  Every year, our entire Head Start team spends a week before classes begin to complete required training that prepares for them for the school year ahead.

The fall is always a very busy time for all of us here at OVO.  Make sure to check back next month to here more of our awesome news and fun happenings!  Go OVO!