WithinReach AmeriCorps Outreach staff

For over two decades, WithinReach, a statewide non-profit, has helped Washington families take steps towards healthier lives by connecting them with health and food resources while promoting health education and disease prevention among vulnerable populations. Two years ago WithinReach partnered with the United Way of King County to build the Bridge to Basics program – a volunteer effort that trains community members in public benefits eligibility and places them in the community to reach out to their neighbors in need of these services. Over the past two years, Bridge to Basics volunteers and WithinReach’s Community Outreach team completed over 1,200 Basic Food (food stamps) applications and connected with over 6,200 people at places like food banks, Worksources and libraries, linking them with other crucial resources such as utility assistance and low-cost clinics. The story of Lila, a recent US immigrant from the war-ravaged Central African Republic, is a story of just one person who has benefited from WithinReach’s Bridge to Basics Program.

“It was an absolute nightmare.”

Flame-laden batons and spheres of fire – weapons of war – hurled into make-shift shelters smoked villagers out of their dwellings; homes left un-torched pillaged and plundered by enemies and neighbors alike.

These were the manifestations of warfare seen through the eyes of the then 19 year old Lila.

Several decades later, those same eyes stare down at the mounds of job applications and employment brochures. Lila is at Airport Jobs, a job search center within the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where over 50% of job seekers are immigrants or refugees living in South King County.  Lila works at a nursing home as a RN assistant, but spends much of her spare time helping her adult son, Ezra, with his job search. Ezra, who has recently relocated to the US, said to me, “My mom is always caring for everyone else. She came here with me today on her day off… It is a good thing that you are here, because she never would have done this (accessed food benefits) on her own.

What do we do?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), approximately one in four people eligible for Basic Food are not receiving benefits. Eligible immigrant populations are even less likely to participate in food stamps. In addition, working individuals, such as Lila, are increasingly finding themselves among the hungry. Lila’s situation illustrates that food stamp outreach is valuable for those who are new to public benefits. After all, it is difficult for people to seek out resources if they do not know about them. Consequently, Bridge to Basics fills this access gap by providing in-person support to people in need of food and health care assistance – when and where they need it. By physically going out into the community, Bridge to Basic volunteers and WithinReach staff help those who fall through the cracks access benefits – allowing them to use the money that they would typically allocate for groceries and food for other essentials like housing costs, car payments, and utilities. One of the benefits of having in-person assistance is that clients can get service and support tailored to their situations (such as help gathering verifications, setting up interviews with DSHS, and obtaining translation services). In addition to reaching out to a community that is often met with systemic neglect, the Bridge to Basics program works to eradicate misconceptions about eligibility and citizenship guidelines that prevent some immigrants from applying.

How did the service affect the life of the client?

As Lila and I worked together to fill out her food stamp application, she expressed her hope that food benefits would allow her to resume buying halal meat, or meat that has been prepared in a manner prescribed by Islamic law. (The Islamic practice requiring Muslims to eat exclusively halal meat is similar to Jewish tradition mandating that members of its faith consume only kosher.) Halal items, which Lila had ceased purchasing shortly after her arrival into the states, is typically more expensive than other meat and poultry – making it difficult to access for those on a strict budget. “They don’t carry it at the food bank, so now I hardly eat any meat.” Lila’s experience expounds how access to food stamps may raise living standards of those in need, including working individuals such as Lila, by restoring a participants’ purchasing power and increasing access to healthy and, in Lila’s case, culturally and religiously appropriate food options versus what is solely available at the food bank.

How did the service impact me?

Serving as an AmeriCorps member on WithinReach’s Bridge to Basics Program has allowed me to come into contact with a mosaic of cultures, and most probably, people I would not have otherwise met. Lila, in a very short time, opened me up to a different world by momentarily transporting me out of King County and into the Central African Republic (CAD), her homeland, with stories of her war-torn, arson- ravaged village. A conflict that has displaced an estimated 220,000 of her countrymen, she shared how in the midst of so much civil chaos, she became separated from her husband of 20 years. According to Lila, in CAD, governmental assistance is non-existent while limited foreign aid from private charities runs out far too quickly. To Lila, the food stamp program, an entitlement program that guarantees all applicants benefits so long as they meet minimum requirements, was “unexpected,” a stark juxtaposition to assistance programs in CAD. Lila’s surprise towards food stamp access highlights how outreach is particularly beneficial to King County’s many immigrant and refugee communities – who are not only new to the country, but are often new to public benefit system.

By providing me with a snapshot of her past life, Lila exemplifies how the benefits of service are a two-way street. Much too often, the assumption is made that volunteerism and public service are unilateral – that the advantage is disproportionately collected by the recipient of the service. My experience with Lila shows that this is absolutely not true. Rather, there is something to be gained by both parties involved. In this case, Lila enhances my worldview, and in turn, this broader cultural literacy will help me anticipate and address the needs of diverse populations – enabling me to become a better service provider and a better citizen of the world.

Lila was approved for $84.00 per month in Basic Food benefits.

This post was written by guest blogger, Erin Milliren, an AmeriCorps volunteer with the Bridge to Basics program, a partnership between United Way of King County, Within Reach, the City of Seattle and Americorps 

Hi, my name is Erin Milliren. I am one of the four AmeriCorps service members who staff the Bridge to Basics outreach team. Based out of WithinReach in North Seattle, we travel all throughout King County. We visit food banks, public libraries, WorkSource offices and public service centers. At each site, we connect eligible community members with public benefits like food stamps, utility assistance and low cost medical options. As a team, we speak to an average of 1100 people and assist several dozen with applications for food stamps and state medical insurance (Children’s Medicaid, Pregnancy Medical).

This job is one that is full of incredibly rewarding experiences and interactions, but is also colored by the frustrations of working within an ever shrinking system of tax funded health programs. In the hundreds of hours I have spent at outreach, I have heard countless stories that detail the hardships of unemployment and underemployment, homelessness, and poverty. One client in particular, who is diabetic and experiencing homelessness, embodies the frightening dilemma that many adults face after they are cut from affordable insurance plans.

After finally getting in to see a dentist at one of the few free clinics in Seattle, Jane was informed that all of her teeth are rotten, and need to be pulled as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this means that she will need to find a way to pay for dentures. Too young to be covered by Medicare and having recently been cut from Washington’s Basic Health program, dentures are not an option. So, she has chosen to hold off on the extractions. Jane is very aware of the fact that there is an increasing chance of infection if she does not take care of this problem, and that an infection could affect her heart which is already compromised by the diabetes. When I met her, she was incredibly disheartened, and distrustful of me as a service provider.

Fortunately, I was able to connect Jane with Basic Food, and she received the maximum allotment of benefits, which is $200 per month. Even though she continues to struggle to save money for her teeth, Jane is at least able to use her food stamps to purchase healthy food which helps her control her diabetes. Also, I connected her with the Washington Prescription Drug Program which will hopefully make insulin more affordable.

I love working with the Bridge to Basics team especially because we offer tangible resources to community members who really need them. Help us assist other community members by remembering people like Jane when you vote. Keep them out of hospital emergency rooms by funding the type of services that provide medical services to low income adults.

If you’re looking for a new volunteering opportunity, consider the Bridge to Basics program. In just a few hours a week, you can help connect low-income people with things like food stamps, utility assistance and low-cost health care.

I work full-time as a writer at United Way of King County. It’s been two years now, and it’s been a great experience. Through United Way, I’ve discovered so many programs and services available for people who need the help.  The problem lots of times is connecting those so desperately in need with the help that exists for them. 

So, when I heard about the new Bridge to Basics program that was launching in the fall of 2009, I was intrigued.

UWKC was spearheading it, and they were looking for 100 volunteers.
It wasn’t a huge time commitment—one all-day training and a few
hours a week over several months. I could do that.

I learned so much during the training—but these were key takeaways:

• The minimum income requirement for food stamps
  has been raised significantly, so that many more people are eligible and they don’t know it.
• Food stamps now come on a preloaded debit card—so much more appealing than having to deal with the stigma sometimes associated with having to pay at grocery storeswith food stamps.
• Utility companies have programs that can help people who are struggling financially to keep their power on.

We’re recruiting Bridge to Basics volunteers now! If you’re looking for a wonderfully rewarding way to help struggling low-income individuals and families, I’d highly recommend checking it out here.

10 Ways You Did More in 2010

10. You were one of the 32,000 people in King County who volunteered your time and talents to improve the community.

9. You helped 7,000 struggling people get back on their feet through the Bridge to Basics Program.

8. You sparked the love of learning in 1,400 preschoolers by participating in our Volunteer Reader Program.

7. You brought $19.3 million back to our community with the Free Tax Prep Campaign.

6. You were one of 500 people who raised awareness and took action to end hunger in our community.

5. You canned 10,000 pounds of vegetables each week—that otherwise would have gone into the garbage—for local food banks.

4. You welcomed 1,000 people home to permanent housing with supportive services.

3. You expanded the Parent-Child Home Program to triple the number of families currently being served.

2. You were one of 10,500 Day of Caring volunteers who donated $1.3 million in labor at 425 projects throughout King County.

1. You helped 2,400 men, women and youth experiencing homelessness feel human again at the Community Resource Exchange.

If you would like your charitable gift to be accepted and recorded in calendar year 2010, you must make it by noon on Friday, December 31. Help your taxes and your community. Give now!

Yuri started at United Way of King County as an Americorps VISTA volunteer with our ending homelessness team. He provided key support to the Community Resource Exchange and the Free Tax Preparation Campaign.

A year and a half ago, he was one of the first contributors to our fledgling blog, and he soon established himself as the king of social media at United Way. Yuri took our blog to the next level by completing redesigning it. In addition to blogging, Yuri is the person behind @homelesskc on Twitter. He helped make our first tweetups to volunteer at Food Lifeline and at Marra Farm successful.

Yuri played a key role in our first Hunger Action Week in 2009 by reaching out to food bloggers and getting them to participate in the Hunger Challenge. This laid the groundwork for an even more successful Hunger Action Week this year. He’s written many thoughtful posts for the blog about hunger and poverty.

Yuri was also part of the launch of our Bridge to Basics program, which sends volunteers out into the community to help people in need access food, utility assistance and health care. To further help people severely affected by the economic downturn, Yuri put together the Where to Turn website which connects people who have fallen on tough times to resources and services that can help them get back on their feet.

Yuri is a New Jersey native and is returning to the East Coast to go to grad school. His last day at United Way of King County is May 21, and although we knew this day was coming for months, it’s hard to believe it’s finally here.

Thank you, Yuri, for all that you’ve done to help United Way of King County and to help people in our community. I look forward to eventually seeing you on Time’s “Most Influential People” list and even possibly seeing a fat sandwich named after you.

We’ve written a good deal about food stamps on this blog,  especially with regard to our new Bridge to Basics program (which incidentally has just wrapped a highly successful pilot run). But I thought it worth highlighting this article for several reasons, as it chronicles national trends we’ve been seeing in Seattle since the recession hit in 2007.

For  data geeks like myself, it also has this sweet infographic, which is a handy tool not only for avoiding your Outlook inbox but also for comparing King County food stamp usage to other major metropolitan counties across the country.

Perhaps the most important stat to remember is this one: 90% of food stamp recipients have incomes below the federal poverty line.  For a family of four, that’s only $22,050.

The families and children utilizing SNAP truly need the help, and thankfully the stigma attached to the program is succumbing to the harsh reality of the recession. It’s not a positive sign that people who were once financially self-sufficient are now on food stamps.  However, it is important to remember that the program is working, and that without it our goal of alleviating hunger in King County would be nearly impossible to reach.

In Washington state, there are many resources available to help people who are low-income or who are struggling financially. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that they are eligible for services that can help. For example, in King County, only 66% of those eligible for food stamps are claiming them. This is the lowest rate in the entire state.

Families and individuals who have to choose between paying rent or buying groceries don’t know that there is a safety net available to them. With that in mind, we’re recruiting volunteers to change this!

United Way of King County is launching its new Bridge to Basics volunteer program. As a Bridge to Basics volunteer, you’ll be out in the community screening people to see if they’re eligible for vital services. Specifically, you will be focusing on three benefits: Basic Food (food stamps), Basic Health (low-cost healthcare), and utility assistance (reductions in energy bills).

This is an exciting new program that is going to help a lot of people. However, we need the support of volunteers to really make this program work so please consider signing up!

No experience is necessary! We’ll train you on all the things you need to know. You just need to be willing to help your neighbors and community.

For more information, click here!