MDH-1-24-2016

MORRIS HERALD NEWS January 24, 2016 • $1.50

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A LITTLE EXTRA HELP

Grundy residents see increase in food benefits / 3

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LOCAL NEWS

COVER STORY

3 The Herald–News • SunSunday, January 24, 2016 MHN Photos by Eric Ginnard - eginnard@shawmedia.com

TOP LEFT: Bob Garcia, a volunteer with We Care of Grundy County, holds Thursday a series of cards used to identify how much food a family can receive during a single trip. BOTTOM LEFT: Garcia bags several small boxes of orange juice Thursday while helping a customer in Morris. RIGHT: A clients of We Care of Grundy County shops Thursday for food at the organization in Morris.

EXTENDING HELP

More families eligible for food assistance in Grundy County

By HEIDI LITCHFIELD

hlitchfield@shawmedia.com MORRIS – Low-income families in Grundy County have more options for help this year as the state has raised income eligibility requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and area organizations have expanded services.

We Care of Grundy County changed its policy in January, opening its food pantry doors to all eligible residents of Grundy County, instead of restricting services to Morris residents. The agency also has added a second traveling food bank truck each month.

“It gives people more options,” said Eric Fisher, executive director at We Care. “They can continue to use us while taking advantage of other op-

Where to get help • We Care of Grundy County, 530 Bedford Road, Morris, 815-9426389 • Help for Hope, 1630 S. Broadway St., Coal City, 815-370-7817 • Department of Human Services for Grundy County, 1560 First Ave., Ottawa, 815-433-1572 tions available to them.”

We Care guidelines state clients must be at 200 percent of poverty level, much higher than the percent used for SNAP benefits, to get assistance.

This year, policy changes resulting from Public Act 099-0170 raised the income limit from 130 percent of poverty level to 165 percent of poverty level, according to the Illinois Department of

Human Services.

Cathy Milne, director of Help for Hope in Coal City, said raising the eligibility limits will be a good thing for the clients who visit her for food and personal items.

“The people we help are low income, but they may still have $800 to $900 a month [to pay in] rent. Any additional services will help them pay their other bills,” she said. “Even with the added SNAP benefits they may still struggle, but it may ease some of the burden.”

Expanded benefits

According to the state, an estimated 40,000 low-income working families are newly eligible for the benefits.

A look at gross maximum income eligibility shows that a family of two can now make

$2,191 a month compared to the former eligibility limit of $1,726. For a family of four, the maximum limit was raised to $3,335 a month from $2,628.

The maximum gross benefits a family of two can receive is $357, and a family of four could receive up to $649.

According to DHS, the dollar amount received is based on the number of people in the household, income and expenses. The website states families can receive any amount up to or including those maximum amounts.

A SNAP eligibility calculator is available online for those who think they might be eligible for assistance under the new guidelines.

“The higher eligibility helps to alleviate the grocery bill. They can now use the additional savings toward

getting their car fixed so they can get to work, taking a class so they can get a better job,” Fisher said. “Groceries are a big part of a family budget.”

We Care provided food to more than 3,000 individuals in 2015.

Fisher said the additional SNAP benefits have the potential to help a family climb out of crisis, giving them more money in the other areas where We Care provides assistance, such as rent, utility payments and prescription costs.

In 2015, We Care assisted 1,748 people with clothes at the We Care clothes closet, 91 families with rent assistance, 51 families with utilities and 114 families with prescription assistance.

See FOOD, page A4

MHN The Herald–News • SunSunday, January 24, 2016

4

LOCAL NEWS

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Eric Ginnard - eginnard@shawmedia.com

Bob Garcia, a volunteer with We Care of Grundy County, bags groceries Thursday in Morris. Garcia said he has been volunteering with We Care for three years.

We Care spent more than $34,000 in rent assistance • FOOD

The census doesn’t break down statistics to the 130 perContinued from page A3 cent or 165 percent used for SNAP eligibility but it does The organization spent show that 6,769 people were more than $34,000 in rent assis- at 125 percent of poverty level tance and more than $8,000 on in 2014, 8,679 were at 150 percent of poverty level and 11,242 utility assistance. were at 185 percent of poverty level.

Providing assistance Fisher said expanding serAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, 9 percent of the vices and giving more people just over 50,000 residents in access to food at We Care, couGrundy County in 2014 were pled with more people eligibelow poverty level and 12,549 ble for SNAP, will give many residents were at 200 percent low-income working people the opportunity to use their of poverty level.

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money elsewhere to get out of the crisis that brings them in for the other assistance available.

Milne said at Help for Hope a lot of the rent and utility assistance given is because something unplanned happened, and the next month the family finds themselves in need.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP benefits at the federal level, the benefits can only be used for food and for plants and seeds to grow food.

SNAP benefits cannot be

used to buy any nonfood item, such as pet foods, soaps, paper products, personal hygiene items and household supplies.

We Care and Help for Hope both offer clients personal hygiene items such as soap and shampoo, cleaning products such as dish soap and laundry soap, and paper products such as toilet paper and paper towels when available.

Milne said it’s humbling when someone asks for toilet paper, something she takes for granted because she always has it.

ON THE COVER

CORRECTIONS

Bob Garcia, a volunteer with We Care of Grundy County, helps load groceries into the back of a vehicle Thursday in Morris.

Accuracy is important to the Morris Herald-News and it wants to correct mistakes promptly.

Please call errors to our attention by phone at 815-942-3221 or email news@morrisherald-news. com.

Photo by Eric Ginnard - eginnard@shawmedia.com

Stay informed

Keep informed on Grundy County news by getting the Morris Herald-News, available Sunday through Friday, or by visiting MorrisHerald-News.com.

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Morris’ Nathaniel Halcomb puts up a shot after getting an offensive rebound Friday in the Redskins’ 54-38 loss to Sycamore.

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