“Our amazing board and staff are dedicated and committed to ensure our services continue for 54 more years,” Calabrese said. “They say it’s not work if you love what you do. I agree with the second part of that sentiment. It’s been a long, mostly wonderful journey.”
The local OIC (Opportunities for Individual Change) is a nonprofit designated as Clark County’s Community Action Agency. Responsible for addressing the needs of “economically disadvantaged youth and adult populations in the community,” it was started in 1971 as an affiliate of the National OICs of America.
Calabrese said that at the start of his director term, OIC programs across the country were closing due to changes in the federal funding formula, but Clark County’s OIC “was seen as a preferable training program by the local county Private Industry Council.” OIC was then named the Community Action Agency, and now the organization serves more than 4,000 people of low to moderate income annually.
Crew has served as the executive director of the Clark County Family and Children First Council for the past 10 years, with experience in nonprofit and government agencies as well as direct service, community outreach and fundraising, according to a media release.
Crew “plans to advocate for programming that provides services that reduce poverty and promote employment and education,” according to the group.
In 2000, OIC began its partnership with the Springfield City School District to start an alternative high school, and now more than 1,000 “credit-deficient students” have graduated from SCSD, Calabrese said.
“The incredible stories about how OIC impacted individuals and families are mostly known by the individuals themselves and only they understand the real impact the OIC organization,” Calabrese said.
John Detrick, former Clark County Commissioner, said Calabrese has been a “major driver for many county businesses through grants, job placement” that includes ex-offenders, as well as programs “to bring numerous financial grants to our county including the homeless shelter.”
OIC is currently supporting local homelessness nonprofit Sheltered Inc. through September with state funding on a per-head, per-family business. The agreement requires OIC to perform daily, on-site monitoring and have clients take part in OIC training programs like those that can help them get forklift operating certifications.
In August, Clark County filed a civil lawsuit against Sheltered Inc. for breach of contract and is seeking reimbursement of more than $500,000. This lawsuit stems from a county allegation that the nonprofit mismanaged funds for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Prevention, Retention and Contingency (PRC) services, which provide work support and other services to low-income families.
OIC has previously financially supported Sheltered Inc. after it lost county and city funding.
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