OIC distributes items of need to families, agencies

Kim Durnell sorts cases of diapers, wipes, facemaks and toilet paper into piles Thursday morning for OIC of Clark County, who is distributing the items to 15 families and other agencies. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Kim Durnell sorts cases of diapers, wipes, facemaks and toilet paper into piles Thursday morning for OIC of Clark County, who is distributing the items to 15 families and other agencies. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Opportunities for Individual Change (OIC) of Clark County distributed items of need to families and other community service providers amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“In view of all the problems people are having right now, we wanted to go above and beyond our normal scope of service,” Mike Calabrese, Executive Director of OIC said.

OIC is known for providing alternative high school education and emergency utility services to assist low-income Clark County residents in becoming self-sufficient, Calabrese said.

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“There are so many people helping in so many different ways,” Calabrese said. “We’re trying to fill in the gaps.”

He said that the organization discussed what items were needed the most during the coronavirus pandemic with the families that they usually help.

“They needed help with diapers and personal care items for babies,” Calabrese said.

OIC went shopping and bought enough items - diapers, wipes, toilet paper and face masks - to help the individuals in their immediate programs as well as other community agencies, Calabrese said.

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“We’re delivering to 15 high school students that have children,” Calabrese said. “The rest is going to different agencies that work with parents with small children.”

To help serve the local families and agencies, Calabrese said they purchased a couple thousand diapers.

“It’s what we always do, but it’s just something different.”

The OIC was designated as the Community Action Agency (CAA) for Clark County in 1989. For more information, visit www.oicofclarkcounty.org.

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