At the March 12th, 2025 meeting of the Clinton County Commissioners, Gary Huffenberger, former Wilmington News Journal Reporter and Assistant Editor, spoke about the usage of the City of Wilmington and Clinton County’s OneOhio Recovery Foundation funds from the Ohio opioid settlement. Brenda Woods, County Commissioner; Mike McCarty, County Commissioner; and Mary Anne Haines Foland, County Administrator, were present at the meeting.
During his speech, Gary gave an example of Circleville, Ohio, where they used $85,000 of their OneOhio funds to purchase ‘Soap-n-Hope,’ a 32-foot trailer that is a mobile hygiene unit for homeless individuals. In this unit, homeless individuals are able to shower and do laundry. Gary stated, “Given Circleville’s ‘Soap-n-Hope’ project, at least some homeless related projects evidently are eligible for OneOhio funds, apparently because a certain percentage of the nation’s and Ohio’s homeless populations do have chronic substance use problems.” According to the OneOhio Recovery Foundation, the funds must be used on a “defined set of Approved Purposes and a comprehensive list of opioid remediation strategies,” which include, “fund of programs that address prevention, treatment, and long-term recovery; criminal justice; and public awareness expenditures that promote the overall health and well-being of Ohioans.”
Gary said that according to Mary Kay Vance, City of Wilmington Auditor, there are currently $80,963 in Wilmington’s OneOhio fund, and Kyle Rudduck, Clinton County Treasurer, there are $516,889 in Clinton County’s OneOhio fund, for a total of almost $600,000. According to both Kyle Rudduck and the OneOhio Recovery Foundation, funds will continue to be dispersed by the state for up to 18 years. After discussing the amounts, Gary stated, “I would like to see… county officials at their meetings consider spending a portion of these dollars for some type of eligible, homeless-related project”—like transitional housing as previously recommended by the Clinton County Homeless Coalition. Gary shared hopes that a portion of the money could help provide the “vital and basic needs” for homeless individuals. Since the money will continue to come in for years, he argued that this would be a “comparatively small use” of the funds.
After speaking, Gary posed three questions. He asked if the county had current plans for the funds, if it was an eligible use to aid the homeless, and who makes the final decision on the expenditure of the funds. Gary also asked if the county or city had spent any of the funds.
Mike McCarty led the conversation, speaking on behalf of the commissioners and as the county representative for the OneOhio county funds. According to Mike, any project that would use state or regional funds requires data and evidence before it can be started. Essentially, Mike could not confirm whether Gary’s suggestion would be an accepted use for the OneOhio funds.
Mike met with the Educational Service Center (ESC) to attempt to use the funds for prevention purposes with local children. He stressed the importance of focusing on prevention with children to end the teen vaping epidemic. Gary countered that there were programs that deal with that issue already in existence. He stated, “It seems to me that the homeless population is the population that’s been neglected… I want to see local officials do something other than threaten to take Sugartree Ministries to court.”
Addressing the issue of homelessness, Mike stated, “My opinion is a lot of our agencies that are meant to help that population sit in an office and are waiting for them to show up at their office and get help. That population is never, ever gonna be the type that comes to a board and says I need help.” Mike mentioned other programs in nearby towns that provide housing and “actual treatment.” He suggested a meeting with all the “independent care sources” for homeless individuals to create a collective goal and apply for grants. He argued that it will take a local population to “spearhead” what Wilmington needs to deal with homelessness. Regarding the funds, Mike suggested partnering with something that already occurs to be more cost efficient. According to Mike, he is open to projects or groups coming forward with suggestions on how to best spend the money.
Gary closed the conversation by explaining that he heard about the funds and was hoping that it could be a potential source to provide the daily needs of homeless individuals. He also encouraged the county commissioners to “[keep] homelessness on [their] radar.”
Learn more about the OneOhio Recovery Foundation at oneohiofoundation.com. To learn more about the county and city’s spending of the funds, visit wilmingtonohio.gov.