Seneca County Public Guardianship Program Receives Major Grant Funding
Seneca County Public Guardianship Program Receives Major Grant Funding
[Tiffin, OH – Feb. 1, 2023] — Judge Jay A. Meyer and the Seneca County Probate Court are proud to announce that the Seneca County Public Guardianship Program has received a $55,000 grant from the Allen Eiry Foundation for 2023. The grant, managed by the Columbus Foundation, will go towards supporting the valuable services provided by the Public Guardianship Program to Seneca County’s elderly and vulnerable residents.
The Allen Eiry Foundation, established in 1983 in honor of the late Seneca County resident, businessman, and farmer, Allen Eiry, has a long history of supporting the Public Guardianship Program. The foundation’s mission is to provide help and support to the county’s most vulnerable seniors.
Under Judge Meyer’s leadership, the Public Guardianship Program provides around-the-clock guardianship and conservatorship services to indigent residents aged 55 and older who have been declared legally incompetent or suffer from a medical or mental disability. The Public Guardian serves as a trusted companion and advocate, attending appointments, monitoring the health and safety of program participants, and making financial and medical decisions when necessary.
The Guardian also works to connect program participants with necessary services and medical providers to ensure they can live in the least restrictive environment possible. For example, the Guardian helped a program participant with mental health issues find independent housing in an assisted living facility, where they have thrived for ten months.
The grant from the Allen Eiry Foundation will allow the program to add its first vehicle and a part-time office assistant, as well as improve technology in the office. These new resources will enable the Guardian to visit participants more frequently and ensure they are transported to crucial doctor and mental health appointments.
“I am so proud of the work that our Public Guardian does and the impact that our Program has on individuals in our community who need someone dependable and kind to look out for their best interests,” said Judge Meyer. “The funds we receive from the Allen Eiry Foundation will help us continue to provide this integral service to our community.”
“It is a great honor and privilege to serve as the Public Guardian and help protect our community’s most vulnerable,” said Public Guardian Jay Rishty. “Thanks to the generous support from the Allen Eiry Foundation, as well as partnerships with local agencies such as the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Ottawa, Sandusky, and Wyandot Counties and the Seneca County Commission on Aging, we can continue to provide life-supporting services to our program participants at no charge.”
For more information on the Seneca County Public Guardianship Program and the Allen Eiry Foundation, please visit the Seneca County Probate Court’s website at http://www.senecajpcourt.com.