On Tuesday, January 14 the Mobile Information Station (MIS) site visit for Augusta County was at the Craigsville Community Center.
Because this is in the same building with the library and the town offices, there is opportunity for walk-ins who don’t know anything about MIS, especially since the Town Clerk is very happy that this service is being provided. She refers those who come to her window for town business into the next room to visit with Kathryn Coit, Outreach Specialist, if she is aware that they are 60 years or older and have financial needs.
As a local individual with that kind of knowledge, she is an invaluable partner for this outreach! One individual was pre-screened online for financial assistance through Pfiser for a medication that she was struggling to purchase and learned she will probably be able to get this at no cost if her physician submits the application for her. Another individual plans to have his spouse come next month to find out about benefits they might be eligible for.
The MIS visited the Bergton Community Recreation Center, serving the Bergton, Criders and Fulks Run area, on January 16. Because this coincides with the area food pantry, there was “a captive audience” of about 20 people passing through for a couple of hours. Both food pantry participants and volunteers were very interested in learning more about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
One 80-year-old lady said, when learning that she is quite likely to be eligible for both SNAP and Medicaid, “Do you mean to tell me that I could have had that kind of help for the last 20 years?”
A volunteer took SNAP information for his neighbor, after realizing that food assistance for that gentleman might free up some of his limited income to help with his utility expenses, which he said was his only real unmet need. It’s so encouraging to begin to get feedback like that as the expansion of this project begins to grow.
More online at http://mobileinformationstation.com.
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