Middle-class needy By Catherine Candisky THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Wearing a jacket and dress pants, Irene Botsko might have looked a bit out of place when she walked into a South Side food pantry this week. She wasn't. The 49-year-old divorced mother of one lost her bank job 21 months ago and has been unable to find steady work since then. Her savings is gone, and she's living on $267 a week in unemployment benefits and some help from friends. She struggles to keep up with the mortgage on her Columbus condominium. For more of this story, click to read full article. Page A1

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Most counties have more unemployed By Mark Williams THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Unemployment in central Ohio edged higher overall last month. In October, the unemployment rate for the eight counties that make up central Ohio rose two-tenths of a percentage point, to 8.4 percent, according to figures from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The rate for Columbus and Franklin County ticked up 0.1 percentage point, to 8.4 percent for the county and 8.5 percent for the city. Overall, rates increased in 71 of Ohio's 88 counties and for most of the state's metropolitan areas. For more of this story, click to read full article. Page A8

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One in seven Ohio families on hunger list By: Catherine Candisky THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Ohio has broken into the top 10 states for hunger, as about one in every seven households struggled or did not have enough money to buy food. That's according to an annual report released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nearly 680,000 families -14 .8 percent - were found to be "food insecure" at some point in 2009. That's a jump from 13.3 percent the previous year, when Ohio ranked 12th in the nation. Nationwide, more than 17.4 million families - 51 million Americans - reported that they were unable or had difficulty feeding themselves last year, up slightly from the previous record of 17.1 million households a year earlier. It marks the fourth straight year for an increase in the number of Americans experiencing hunger. It's the highest rate of food insecurity since 1995, when the first federal survey was conducted. For more of this story, click to read full article.

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Montpelier Helping Hands Seminar By: Angi Walkup, THE VILLAGE REPORTER Local Montpelier church, House of Prayer and their food pantry Helping Hands, have organized with Budget-meals.org to help local residents with a "Hands That Teach Seminar". Founded in 2009 by Carol Scudere, her mission is to help families in need that have been stricken by the rising unemployment rate by teaching them to budget, plan, shop, and prepare meals using economical methods and also to curb childhood obesity. The non-profit organization revolves around the Chinese Proverb "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime". For more of this story, click to read full article.

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Nonprofit helps families eat well despite limited cash By LAURA ENGLEHART Published: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 6:09 PM EDT Budget Meals, founded by Carol Scudere, teaches how to spend money wisely at the grocery store and how to cook the food that's brought home. With an old Chinese proverb in mind, a Powell-based nonprofit group was formed this year to teach low-income families how to grocery shop with $300 a month. The proverb, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime," defines the philosophy of Budget Meals, founded by entrepreneur Carol Scudere. For more of this story, click to read full article.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Non-Profit Organization Aims to Teach Low Income Families Skills Necessary to Slash Grocery Budget and Prepare Quick, Nutritious Meals Budget Meals, a non-profit organization based in Powell, Ohio, is working with state-wide churches, food pantries, organizations, communities and government agencies to educate families in need. Skills taught during the classes (offered to ages 12 & up, 12-15 year olds MUST be accompanied by an adult) include creating a budget, shopping for quantity foods, healthy menu planning, and time-conscious meal preparation. Taught in a fun environment, Budget Meal classes can help feed a family of 4 for approximately $300+ a month. Click here to read full article.

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