by Administrative Assistant | Oct 16, 2023 | Events
Stylist Kara Relyea of Paulding’s Hair Off The Square is hosting a Cut-A-Thon Saturday, October 14 at 3 p.m. at the Paulding Eagles located at 206 W Perry St.
Relyea has partnered with the non-profit organization Children With Hair Loss (CWHL) to help raise awareness, funds and natural hair to provide wigs for children and young adults facing medically related hair loss.
This cause is very close to Relyea’s heart. Relyea’s five-year-old daughter, Aubree, has an autoimmune disorder known as Alopecia. Before Aubree turned four years old, she had lost all of her hair, eyebrows and eyelashes. Set to start preschool that August, Aubree was afraid to go, worried how the kids in school might react. All those who knew Aubree knew her to be a confident child, and to see her struggle weighed heavily on her family.
The Relyeas reached out to Children With Hair Loss, and by the time Aubree was ready to start school, the organization had provided her with a wig. Aubree went to school on day one with her wig and gradually started going without it. The organization had not only given her what she needed to feel secure, but it also gave her back her confidence and the ability to thrive and she grew to love going to school.
Aubree turns six in February, and though this is a condition she will live with forever, Relyea reports that her hair is growing back and she has her brows and lashes back. “Giving back to Children With Hair Loss is just a tiny fraction of what they have given back to us,” says Relyea.
CWHL Founder Regina Villemure, a former cosmetology instructor, stylist and hair replacement specialist, started CWHL after her niece, Sarah, was diagnosed with Leukemia at age three. Through Sarah’s five years of chemotherapy treatments, Villemure witnessed many children who had lost their hair and wore synthetic wigs made for adults. Given Villemure’s experience in the hair industry, she knew human hair looked most natural on children, however, natural wigs are very costly and knew most families were unable to afford them. From this experience, Villemure made it her mission to “Cover Young Heads to Heal Young Hearts.”
Each wig costs $1,500 to make. Relyea hopes to raise money for wigs and donate hair that will go to other children who can be helped as much as Aubree has.
Relyea expressed her immense gratitude for the outpouring of support, saying “This community has shown us so much love and grace, there is nowhere else I want to live and raise my children. The response we have already gotten for this event is beyond mind-blowing. God has given us an opportunity to give back and I am so thankful we have the community to help do this big.”
100% of the hair and proceeds donated at this event will go directly to (CWHL). For those willing to donate their hair, it must be at least 8 inches in length. Haircutting will begin at 3 p.m. followed by a free will donation dinner at 5 p.m. and the live auction to begin around 6 p.m. Be sure to bring all the kiddos as there will be an Art Me Party with face painting, rock painting, and a visit from Justin the Clown at 6 p.m.
For more ways you can help children with hair loss, visit childrenwithhairloss.org.
by Office Manager | Oct 11, 2023 | Community, Events, Membership, PCED Office
The Paulding County Economic office Development proudly presents the 23rd Annual Business & Industry Appreciation Banquet. This event, scheduled for Tuesday, November 14, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at Grant’s Catering in Antwerp, offers a unique opportunity for networking with local, state, and regional business partners. It will also showcase PCED’s accomplishments throughout the year and honor local business achievements.
The evening kicks off with a social hour from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM, followed by dinner at 6:30 PM. The night will be enriched with musical performances by the Vivace String Duo featuring local talents Carman Martin and Elsie Manz.
PCED members are entitled to two complimentary banquet reservations, while additional guests can attend for $40 per person. Secure your spot by RSVPing before October 24 by contacting Office Manager Kristen Schilt at 419-399-8295. Payments for additional guests can be made in advance or on the event night.
Economic Development Director Tim Copsey commented, “2023 has been a remarkable year for the county, and we are eagerly looking forward to celebrating with our valued partners and community members at this networking event.”
For more information, contact Kristen Schilt at office@pced.net or RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/7gWfNZnFSSWaGWnVA
by Administrative Assistant | Sep 13, 2023 | Community, Events
Paulding County’s highly anticipated annual Flat Rock Creek Fall Festival is almost here!
This year features an exciting addition to the schedule of events, with the first-ever Youth Business Showcase taking place Saturday, September 16th between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the OSU Extension Building located at 503 Fairground Drive in Paulding.
Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) has partnered with the Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce, First Financial Bank and the Ohio Small Business Development Center to create an opportunity for kids 18 and under to showcase a wide range of talents and business ventures to the public.
In addition to receiving feedback from local business leaders, two awards are up for grabs for participants. Attendees will cast a vote for their favorite young entrepreneur for a People’s Choice Award sponsored by the Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce. Three Winners will receive a prize bag featuring items and gift cards donated from local businesses. These awards will be presented towards the end of the showcase.
A Judge’s Choice Award will be presented to one winner who will receive a free checking account from First Financial Bank, admission to Northwest State’s summer entrepreneur camp, and the opportunity to participate in PCED’s marketing small business assistance program that can help create a logo and marketing plan for their business.
Residents and visitors are encouraged to support the youth entrepreneurs during the Youth Business Showcase hours. Attendees will have the chance to shop and explore a range of products and services, while also participating in the voting process to determine their favorite entrepreneurs.
by Office Manager | Jul 31, 2023 | Community, Events, PCED Office
Haviland, Ohio — The Young Professionals of Paulding County took an enlightening step into the world of drainage solutions as they embarked on a behind-the-scenes tour of Haviland Drainage Products this week. Sales associate Emil Stoller graciously hosted the group, offering an exclusive glimpse into the company’s history, operations, and its reach in both regional and national markets. The visit concluded with an interactive tour of the facility, allowing participants to gain valuable insights and pose questions.
The Young Professionals of Paulding County is a dynamic networking group catering to individuals up to age 40, who reside, work, or worship within Paulding County. The group’s primary mission is to foster networking opportunities, explore the county’s offerings, and facilitate professional development activities for its members.
“The opportunity to explore the history and operations of Haviland Drainage Products and Haviland Plastics was an invaluable experience,” said Kristen Schilt, Office Manager for Paulding County Economic Development and a member of the Young Professionals of Paulding County. “We were truly impressed by the company’s commitment to sustainability and innovation in the drainage and plastics industry. This business tour marks a milestone for our group, and we look forward to organizing similar visits to other local businesses in the future.”
The group will join the Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce for their next event at the Paulding County Community Night with the TinCaps at Parkview Field on August 19th. Join in for a promising evening of camaraderie and entertainment to celebrate the end of summer.
For individuals interested in attending the Paulding County Community Night, tickets can be secured online until August 7th through the Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce website. For inquiries and additional information about Young Professionals of Paulding County, please reach out to office@pced.net or call 419-399-8295.
by Office Manager | Mar 29, 2023 | Community, Events, Jobs, PCED Office, Workforce
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release March 22, 2023
PCED hosts College, Business & Industry Showcase
PAULDING – The Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) office will host a College, Business and Industry Showcase event on April 4 at the Extension Building on the Paulding County Fairgrounds. The event will bring junior and senior students from all three Paulding County high schools to learn about, meet and discuss future opportunities with area colleges and businesses.
“This event is an opportunity for students to become familiarized with local business and what they do, gain awareness of various careers, get leads on summer employment, see what colleges in the region have to offer, and much more. We understand that each student is in a different place with job and future education decisions. Our hope with this event is to meet students where they are in that decision process and help provide them with numerous options to consider for their future.” stated Economic Development Office Manager Kristen Schilt.
The event will run from 8am-12noon with students arriving at the top of each hour. All Vantage Career Center students from Antwerp, Paulding and Wayne Trace schools are invited to attend the opening hour on their way to the career center. Each school will then bus their students to the event on the hour for forty-five minutes. Homeschool students and the general public are invited to attend at any time.
Students will be provided a “passport” upon arrival. The passports suggest a variety of questions to ask participating entities to help create conversation. Each student is encouraged to talk to a minimum of five businesses and have the business sign their passport. Completed passports will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift gas card, one winner per school will be drawn. The gift cards were sponsored by National Oil & Gas, Inc. They provide fuel to Marathon gas stations all over the county.
This event has grown over the years. This year there are a new record of 52 entities that have sent an RSVP for the event, including the new Rhodes State Mobile RV laboratory. For questions about the event contact the PCED office at 419-399-8295.
by Office Manager | Mar 13, 2023 | Events, Jobs, Membership, PCED Office, Workforce
The Paulding/Defiance County Ohio Means Jobs (OMJ) office hosted a recent business workshop for Paulding County businesses. The event was facilitated by the Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) at the Paulding Eagles community room.
The event was intended to educate business owners on services, tax credits and reimbursement programs available to employers through OMJ and Job & Family Services offices.
Tiffany Goings, Workforce Supervisor for Ohio Means Jobs, opened the meeting and presented OMJ’s Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) and On-The-Job (OTJ) Training reimbursement programs.
The IWT program is for employers interested in upskilling or training an employee for a different skill. OMJ will provide reimbursement for 50% of the training cost. To be eligible, the employee must be full-time and employed for at least six months.
The OTJ program is for potential candidates an employee would want to bring onto their workforce. Before an employee goes through the onboarding process, they’ll meet with the OMJ career coach team to determine their eligibility, and if they are eligible, they can receive 50% of their hourly wage, up to $13,000 or six months, whichever comes first; meaning an employer can put $13,000 back into their business to train and bring on a new hire.
OMJ also offers pre-hire assessments, drug screens, background checks, job postings on their ohiomeansjobs.com website, and services to post to social media. All of these services are available at no cost to businesses.
Greg Warren, Ohio Means Jobs Program Administrator, demonstrated how to navigate the OMJ website, i.e. employers posting their job listings, establishing metrics and guidelines for resume mining to find the ideal candidate, and managing their online accounts.
Presenter B.J. Knutson, Program Administrator for the Office of Workforce Development, presented the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), a federal tax program for employers who hire eligible individuals from defined targeted groups, many of which have barriers to employment. “There is no cap on the amount of dollars that the IRS is offering,” explains Knutson. This program can also be used in conjunction with OTJ training and apprenticeship programs.”
Tech Cred was then presented and explained by Tori Atkinson, Executive Director of Workforce Development Client Services for Northwest State Community College. TechCred, a workforce training program, provides reimbursement dollars to Ohio companies that have W2 employees. Reimbursement is provided for qualified businesses when they train and upskill their workforce in short-term, technology-focused, industry-recognized credentials. Atkinson describes the program as “a win-win. Ohio is winning because your companies are winning as you train your individuals and upskill them.”
Since the start of the program in October 2018 and through 2022, over 2100 employers have applied for TechCred, equaling $24.3 million. 57,000 plus credentials have been awarded and funded through the program. “We have companies in our area that have applied [every round] since October of 2018. The application portal is currently open. The window opened on March 1, 2023, and closes at 3 p.m. on March 31, 2023. The next round will begin in May.
There are currently over 2000 credentials that are pre-approved on the list. “When the program launched, there were just over 400, and the only way to have credentials added to the pre-approval list is by employers. Training providers, universities, community colleges, don’t have the ability to request to have something added. This is completely an employer-driven system.” Participants were guided through a sign-up form for the Ohio program. For more information, to begin the application process, visit www.techcred.ohio.gov.
The meeting closed out with quick presentations from Ivy Tech, Ft. Wayne; Northwest State and Rhodes State Community Colleges as the shared how each could assist businesses in using the Tech Cred office.
