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Supports to Encourage Low-income Families, Inc. (SELF) is a private non-profit, 501(c)(3) and the state-designated community action agency for Butler County, Ohio. SELF is also a Community Development Corporation (CDC).
SELF was established in 1995 with key leadership from the late Janet Clemmons, Butler County Commissioner, and was designated by the Ohio Department of Development on April 1, 1996. Mrs. Clemmons' vision was that Butler County needed a community action agency that would serve the entire county and would be accountable both programmatically as well as fiscally. The agency began client services before the federal welfare reform changes and before before other nonprofits began emphasizing self-sufficiency. |
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SELF is funded from a mixture of individual and corporate donations; the Butler County United Way; city, county, state and federal government grants and contracts; and grants from private foundations and corporations.
In fulfilling its mission, SELF strives to perform the following roles at the highest standards of excellence:
 | To be an advocate for the needs of the community and the development of individual potential. |
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| To be a facilitator in linking individual needs to the full network of services available. |
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| To be a provider of quality services. |
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| To be a trusted and respected partner with individuals and organizations in addressing the needs of the community. |
Clients have called SELF "a bridge" to self-sufficiency and "an anchor in a storm." SELF strives to uphold the original mission of community action as established in President Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty" in the mid-60s - "a hand-up not a hand-out." SELF emphasizes employment and education and works to lessen the barriers for low-income families to obtain and maintain self-sufficiency.
The Janet Clemmons/SELF Community Service Award
In honor of its founder, SELF established the Janet Clemmons/SELF Community Service Award in 1997. It is the highest honor SELF provides to outstanding advocates for low-income individuals.
Janet Clemmons/SELF Community Service Award: Past Recipients
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2007: Jeanene Cotton, Hamilton |
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2006: Roy & Pat Ickes, SHALOM, Middletown |
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2005: Thomas Fritsch, The Maureen L. Fritsch Cancer Assistance Fund |
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2004: Carla and Robby Rice, Fairfield |
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2003: Roscoe Riddell, Living Word Church's Food Pantry |
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2002: Linda Kimble, Serve City, Hamilton |
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2001: Bobbie Chapman, Open Door Food Pantry, Hamilton |
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2000: Robert "Sonny" Hill, Middletown City Council |
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1999: Iris Abbott, Job Club Coach, Butler County Joint Vocational
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1998: Nancy Caudill, Hope House, Middletown |
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1997: Janet Clemmons, Butler County Commissioner |
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