T4C welcomes new director
Leslie “Buffy” Booth
The Tuscarawas County Council for Church and Community has a new executive director, Leslie “Buffy” Booth, who assumed her new duties May 1. Bringing a range of experience to her work, Booth is ready to continue the role T4C has played in the community for more than 50 years.
Booth is a Tuscarawas County native. “I grew up and lived in Uhrichsville for most of my life,” she said.
Booth currently lives in Brightwood with her husband of 25 years. She had been a part-time employee at T4C as a youth booster and in the billing department at Trinity Twin City Hospital. She credits T4C staff with making the transition to director a smooth process.
Booth is a 1986 graduate of Claymont Schools and learned phlebotomy at Buckeye Career Center.
Booth said she has learned a lot about the generosity of the people in Tuscarawas County. “It’s amazing. There are many things available to people here that I didn’t even know about,” she said.
Booth is already directing her sights to the T4C Share-A-Christmas program for the end of the year, which seeks to make sure children of struggling families get to have a merry Christmas.
“And T4C is just an amazing and wonderful organization, filling a key role in the community,” she said. “People in this area are always willing to work together with other organizations to get things done.”
Booth said the T4C Youth Boosters program is active in aiding the lives of area young people, among many other community-centered activities at T4C.
Booth plans no major changes. “The board has been amazing and so supportive during all this. I really couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work for and with,” she said.
In addition to Share-A-Christmas, T4C offers an Emergency Assistance Program. The Emergency Assistance Program was formed to centralize assistance to individuals needing help who did not meet the criteria for assistance from Jobs & Family Services. The program also serves as a screening aid to churches in order to avoid duplication of services. It is currently funded by the Reeves Foundation, the First United Methodist Church of New Philadelphia and private donations. T4C Emergency Assistance helped 976 families in 2022.
Another T4C program, Healthy Choices for Youth, is a classroom-based curriculum with a focus on abstinence from alcohol, drugs, tobacco and premarital sexual activity. It is particularly designed for students grades 6-8 and is taught in every school district in Tuscarawas County, both public and parochial.
A presenter also is available to provide special programs for local groups, organizations and churches, according to www.t4conline.net. More than 1,780 students were the beneficiary of Healthy Choices for Youth last year.
A further 28 students were helped by the T4C Youth Boosters program, with which Booth was involved before taking the new job.
“There’s a lot that this county has to offer,” said Booth, who also has served as a 4-H advisor for more than 20 years. “We are getting ready for a big Safety Day June 3 at the Warwick Township Volunteer Fire Department in Tusky. Empower Tusc, the First National Bank of Dennison and others are coming together with us to help. This area is just very generous with time and funds for people who need help.”
T4C offices are at 1458 Fifth St. NW in New Philadelphia.