Potter’s House Ministries serves those who served

PORTSMOUTH—The Potter’s House Ministries in Sciotoville is kicking off a monthly event aimed at assisting military veterans and active duty service members in Scioto County.

Established in February of 2004, Potter’s House Ministries was originally founded to aid low-income and needy families in the community. Since then, their programming has expanded to include a massive choice food pantry (meaning that visitors may choose the food items they’d like from a menu), a kids mobile food pantry, a summer day-camp for children, health fairs, and many other services.

But Amanda Flanagan knows that when Potter’s House comes to mind, Scioto County residents may not understand the full scope of services they provide. “We are definitely more than just a food pantry,” she said.

For the Scioto County residents affected by financial hardship, these services provide some much-needed relief during uncertain times.

“People come from all over the county. The food pantry only serves Scioto County right now, unfortunately, but we have other services—like our tax preparation services—which we offer year-round. For that, you can be from anywhere in the U.S. We also help [people] sign up for several benefits, like food stamps, HEAP and PIPP programs, Social Security programs, medical care, and FAFSA,” said Flanagan.

Potter’s House Ministries recognized a need not only to help the low-income residents of Scioto County, but veterans and active-duty service members as well. From that recognition, Reaching Rural Veterans—a program created to help our community’s military veterans, active duty service members, and their families—began to take shape.

“We have some veterans who work here, and I think all of us have family members who are veterans. We’ve seen how it can be difficult for them sometimes to get the help that they need. It’s a cause near and dear to all of our hearts,” Flanagan explained.

In addition to the services offered by Potter’s House, Reaching Rural Veterans expects to bring resources from several local businesses and organizations which can offer financial literacy information, physical and mental healthcare information, legal services, continuing education, and more. It has also gained notable support from local government officials, with Scioto County Commissioner Bryan Davis and City Councilwoman Lyvette Mosley each expected to attend.

The staff at Potter’s House understand that assistance is often available to military veterans and their families, but that it may not always be easy for them to access.

“The reason for the program is to bring resources together for veterans and their families, in one location, once a month,” explains Ashley Collins, who worked with the rest of the staff at Potter’s House to organize the event.

“The idea is that they may need these services, but that it’s difficult to find them due to the fact they are rural,” Flanagan adds.

The staff at Potter’s House hope that the event will quickly gain traction within the community. Flanagan explains:

“Right now we are doing it once a month for a year, and if it goes well we’d like to extend it out beyond that year. We are partnering with Purdue University’s extension office, who are helping us out this year. Beyond that, we hope to keep [the event] going ourselves.”

Flanagan and her colleagues want local businesses and community members to know that they, too, can get involved by simply sharing information about the event.

“Help spread the word. This is for veterans, current military, and their families, so anyone who is a family member can come and take part in the resources. If you’re a business or resource host, we ask you to take a month, tell us what resources you can offer, and just be a part of it. And if a business can’t be a host, they can always donate to help make a better experience for our veterans,” says Collins.

The Potter’s House Ministries is located at 5409 Winchester Ave, Portsmouth, Ohio. The Reaching Rural Veterans event will be held in their parking lot on the second Tuesday of every month, from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. Follow them on Facebook for more information.

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The Potter’s House Ministries has served the community since 2004. Now, they hope to help military veterans, active duty service members, and their families with the event Reaching Rural Veterans.
https://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2022/05/web1_PHouse1.jpgThe Potter’s House Ministries has served the community since 2004. Now, they hope to help military veterans, active duty service members, and their families with the event Reaching Rural Veterans.

Their choice food pantry is just one of the many resources Potter’s House offers to folks in need.
https://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2022/05/web1_PHouse3.jpgTheir choice food pantry is just one of the many resources Potter’s House offers to folks in need.

The Potter’s House Ministries is located at 5409 Winchester Ave. in Portsmouth.
https://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2022/05/web1_PHouse2.jpgThe Potter’s House Ministries is located at 5409 Winchester Ave. in Portsmouth.

By Kasie McCreary

[email protected]

Reach Kasie McCreary at (740) 353-3101 ext. 1931, or by email at [email protected]

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