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As the programs director at Spokane Valley Partners, Connie Nelson coordinates a year-round social service agenda that provides support to less fortunate individuals and families throughout the area.
She also happens to be one of the agency’s purveyors of good news.
In a time when foreclosures and layoffs are generating most of the conversation, the notes of optimism strike a hopeful chorus that has many visitors to the SVP office on Broadway realizing that, in Nelson’s words, “there is more help out there than most people realize.”
Part of Nelson’s job is to locate resources for low-income residents that provide reinforcement in areas like health insurance, nutrition and housing. With so many still feeling the impact of the economic downturn, the state social service landscape has shifted, resulting in new programs and changing eligibility requirements for others.
Last October, the Washington Department of Social and Health Services announced that families at or below 200 percent of the poverty level could apply for the Basic Food program, often referred to as food stamps. Previously, the threshold had been 130 percent.
“While the job market in Washington has remain steadier that in other areas of the country, some people here are losing their jobs,” said Troy Hutson, assistant secretary for the department’s Economic Services Administration.
“When you add increasing food and gas costs, more people are going to need help making ends meet.”
Under the old guidelines, a family of four would have needed to make $26,900 or less annually to apply for Basic Food. Now the level is $42,400.
“A lot of families are now eligible because of this switch,” Nelson said.
Proper nutrition can be a key in warding off other problems that aggravate poverty, Nelson added.
“If you’re eating food that’s high in fat and additives, you’re going to be dealing with health issues like diabetes and obesity,” she said. “Having healthy food on the table is so important.”
Construction has begun on a new warehouse in front of the food bank at Spokane Valley Partners that will add five times the amount of storage space, according to food bank director Barbara Bennett. Addition of the facility, expected to be ready by the end of June, will mean more room for fresh produce and dairy products.
Meanwhile, SVP continues to offer classes on healthy cooking for food bank clients – part of an approach that emphasizes education and self-sufficiency. Other class topics include budgeting, energy efficiency and avoiding predatory lending.
“Our mission isn’t just to provide stuff – it’s to give people the resources they need to move from one area to another,” Nelson said.
Groups like Community Frameworks, a nonprofit organization that specializes in quality affordable housing, help administer the free classes. Residents who complete a course in mortgage counseling receive a certificate that can help secure a better loan.
“We want to get people out of the cycle of poverty,” said SVP CEO Ken Briggs. “Sometimes people just need some motivation to realize they can do it.”
Nelson tells the story of one elderly woman who stopped by the agency to have her blood pressure and glucose levels checked. Volunteers from the Washington State University Nursing School – who provide free screenings on a weekly basis at different times throughout the year – realized the woman was in the early stages of diabetic shock.“She didn’t even know she was diabetic,” Nelson said.
After being diagnosed, the woman received treatment and soon began participating in a free lunch group at the Spokane Valley Senior Center.
“When I saw her next, she was like a different person – just very happy,” Nelson said. “All it took was someone reaching out and letting her know they cared. As a society, we don’t always do a good job of that.”
In addition to the WSU health screenings, representatives from Lutheran Community Services drop by SVP once a week to provide information about free and low-cost counseling and resource help for victims of domestic violence and other abuse. Nelson noted that there is no charge for medical treatment for such victims.
“These programs are designed to help people,” Nelson said. “We just need to find them and help them navigate the system.”
Nelson relates one such example that occurred last year when a local resident with a heart condition signed up for low-cost health insurance after visiting SVP.
“He had been diagnosed with heart problems but hadn’t gone in for treatment because he thought he couldn’t afford it,” Nelson said. “We were able to help him get coverage so he could start getting better.”
Beginning in February, a state-sponsored insurance program called Apple Health began providing coverage for families between 251 to 300 percent of the federal poverty level. This means that a family of four making $5,513 or less would qualify at a cost of $30 per child. Families are not required to pay over $60 per month.
Washington state also provides free medical, dental and vision coverage to pregnant women through two programs – Basic Health and First Steps.
Other general insurance programs include Medicaid – free to families at or below 200 percent of the poverty level and Basic Health – at a cost of $20 per child for families between 201 and 251 percent of the poverty level.
In addition to offering a reservoir of resource information, SVP continues to provide healthcare through a women, infant and childrens clinic located on-site. Other organizations like Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs and a pair of counseling services call the center home.
“We’re just trying to make sure we’re here to help,” Nelson said. “We have tremendous resources throughout the community, but if you don’t know where to find them, it doesn’t matter how good they are.”
Want to find out more?
Spokane Valley Partners is located at 10814 E. Broadway. The center can be reached by calling 927-1153. Their website is www.svpart.org
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By
Craig Howard
