Rainbow Connection receives grant, expands support efforts

During the 10th anniversary reunion of Cleveland’s 2016 American League championship team, former Cleveland Indians pitcher and current Rainbow Connection Executive Director Perci Garner took the opportunity to talk about the work being done in Tuscarawas County.

“I told them all about Rainbow,” Garner said. “All of my former teammates are doing really cool things, and it was great to involve both Rainbow Connection and Tuscarawas County in that conversation.”

Rainbow Connection is an independent nonprofit health charity that assists disabled and disadvantaged Tuscarawas County residents, as well as the schools and nonprofit agencies that serve them. During its April and May board meetings, the organization awarded more than $90,000 in assistance to 31 households and four nonprofit agencies.

Funding helped cover hearing aids, medical bills, medical equipment, prescriptions, transportation to long-distance medical appointments, dental bills, medical alert devices, school accessibility equipment and other health-related expenses.

To support its mission, Rainbow Connection recently received a $2,500 grant from The African American Community Fund. In partnership with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, the grant supports Black-led or Black-serving organizations in Ohio’s 32 Appalachian counties that are creating opportunities, meeting community needs and helping residents reach their potential.

“We are really proud to be recognized with this grant,” Garner said. “When we relieve casework of large medical expenses, we, of course, provide them with what they need medically to move forward with their lives. We also give them hope and a reminder that the entire community came together to support them. It’s not just a hearing aid, a prosthetic, or access to a life-changing therapy: our assistance is a tool needed to reach their full potential.”

Rainbow Connection also recently partnered with members of the Leadership Tuscarawas program on a financial literacy initiative. Participants included Andrew Burrell of Timken, Andrea Tyson of Little Caesars and the East Central Ohio Educational Service Center, Chris Pleska of The Commercial & Savings Bank and Erin Wright of the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association.

“We can’t provide financial advice, and our assistance is limited to health and medical expenses,” said Board President Karon Baker. “We hope this project will allow our clients to make financial decisions toward a more independent, self-sufficient future.”

As part of the initiative, visitors to Rainbow Connection’s website soon will have access to financial literacy courses and information from Banzai and DoverPhila Federal Credit Union. In addition, all Rainbow Connection clients now receive a copy of their monthly household budget as reported to the agency, along with information about community resources that may provide additional assistance.

Rainbow Connection’s board of directors meets regularly to review and approve requests for assistance. Tuscarawas County residents needing help with health or medical expenses may call 330-343-8686 or visit tuscrainbow.org for more information.