A girl who referred to as 211 Colorado final month mentioned she had already utilized for assist by way of two meals help applications and inquired about different public advantages she may qualify for.
“She was a single mother who was pregnant and wanted monetary help for her child,” mentioned Abigail Jimenez, the 211 operator at Mile Excessive United Method who answered the girl’s name.
Jimenez informed the mom about MyFriendBen, a brand new on-line device that might assist her discover different social companies she could also be eligible for.
The brand new device, just lately launched by Gary Neighborhood Ventures, a nonprofit philanthropy group, goals to make sure Coloradans in want can higher entry a number of the most simple requirements equivalent to meals and warmth by way of present public advantages applications.
The concept is to assist folks decide what they could be eligible for in about 6 minutes on common, Gary Neighborhood Ventures leaders mentioned.
The device, which seems to be the primary of its variety in Colorado, streamlines the navigation course of for human companies employees by serving to them information folks by way of screening questions on the MyFriendBen web site as an alternative of a time-consuming search by way of a cumbersome database, Jimenez mentioned.
“The primary intent is to extend entry to the social security internet as a result of persons are eligible for advantages however are not getting what they’re eligible for and what’s already publicly funded,” mentioned Elise Henson, government director for MyFriendBen at Gary Neighborhood Ventures.
In early 2022, Gary leaders met with about 100 households who have been giving suggestions about different initiatives the group had created equivalent to how you can enhance its tutoring program and broaden its faculty enrichment program.
Through the conferences, Gary leaders requested contributors about their expertise with public advantages.
Many individuals mentioned they didn’t know what advantages applications they may qualify for they usually turned annoyed by the time-intensive strategy of researching advanced eligibility guidelines for the various completely different help applications.
Gary Neighborhood Ventures leaders mentioned they have been keen to handle the entry downside.
If everybody who’s eligible was enrolled within the seven largest profit applications, together with the Supplemental Vitamin Help Program, and the applications have been totally funded, poverty would drop by 37% for Black households and by 43% for Latino households, in response to the City Institute, in response to the City Institute.
In 2018, 79% of eligible folks participated in SNAP in Colorado, in response to most-recent information from the Middle on Price range and Coverage Priorities.
“There’s some huge cash being left on the desk, and on the similar time, we’re listening to from households about all these completely different struggles of their on a regular basis lives that might a minimum of be mitigated partly by a few of this extra money of their pockets,” Henson mentioned.
It might probably take months to coach case managers and others who assist folks navigate public advantages on the foundations of only one help program, mentioned Brian Hiatt, vice chairman of know-how at Gary Neighborhood Ventures.
“As a navigator, which means you often are caught simply supporting them with their speedy job or the one or two applications that you already know rather well,” he mentioned.
That makes it tough for case managers to provide individuals who want a variety of assist a “fast and sizable” view of how a number of advantages applications would possibly have an effect on their family, he mentioned.
When an individual makes use of the MyFriendBen web site, the device predicts whether or not they could be eligible for greater than 40 federal, state and county advantages applications.
Gary leaders add new advantages applications to MyFriendBen frequently they usually’ll quickly add an utility preparation checklist to the location that outlines key paperwork folks will want once they apply for applications they may qualify for.
MyFriendBen managers mentioned the device is necessary as a result of it will possibly assist individuals who transfer between cities or counties shortly decide how their eligibility would possibly change.
“Being discharged from a hospital, in the event you had a big invoice, you misplaced your job, you simply had a child — these are the sorts of moments the place persons are coming to this device to seek out and get entry to essential security internet assets,” Hiatt mentioned.
“Individuals want assist in sure moments and that tends to be the instances when they are going to use a device like this to shortly perceive the place they may begin on that journey.”
The median family dimension for MyFriendBen customers is 2 folks and the median annual earnings for all customers is simply over $8,200.
The screening questions are brief and written at a center faculty studying stage in 10 languages up to now.
The questions don’t inquire about personally identifiable info or citizenship standing. However they do ask about incapacity standing, earnings, family bills, geographic location, age, variety of folks within the family and medical insurance, for instance.
On the finish of the questionnaire, individuals who could also be eligible for advantages will see an estimated month-to-month worth in cash and tax credit. The outcomes additionally embody a brief description of how lengthy it would take to use.
Over the previous few weeks, extra Coloradans have been using MyFriendBen.
In all of 2023, nearly 5,500 Colorado households have been screened, which means the device recognized about $30 million obtainable by way of public advantages applications for these folks. Henson mentioned based mostly on the outcomes of knowledge about these early customers, shoppers have been capable of entry an estimated $5 million in advantages.
In December alone, 1,300 folks used the MyFriendBen web site, she mentioned.
There was little consciousness about applications that assist folks pay telephone payments equivalent to the Reasonably priced Connectivity Program and Lifeline and lots of who discovered about it through the pilot portion of the MyFriendBen program utilized.
As Coloradans inch by way of winter, MyFriendBen leaders count on extra folks to use for heating and utility help by way of the state’s Low-Revenue Vitality Help Program, for instance, which is receiving a document variety of purposes this season.
MyFriendBen leaders are additionally working with the human companies division in Jefferson County, which has embedded the device on its web site.
MyFriendBen leaders are additionally partnering with the Village Trade Middle, a faith-based group supporting immigrants and refugees. Lots of the middle’s shoppers are latest immigrants with no annual earnings and the MyFriendBen web site is used there to assist them discover extra help.
Different accomplice organizations have revealed the MyFriendBen hyperlink on their web site. Gary leaders are additionally doing outreach to households by way of ads on Google and in modest mail efforts and tv adverts to assist unfold consciousness in regards to the platform.
About half of all MyFriendBen customers in an early pilot examine mentioned they deliberate to use for a brand new profit program after utilizing the device.
And now a couple of 12 months and a half after it launched, a neighborhood philanthropic group and a civic tech group in North Carolina are creating an identical model of the device for his or her state that may launch through the fall.
Early on of their inventive course of, MyFriendBen leaders regarded for different comparable instruments and located one, Entry NYC, created by the New York Mayor’s Workplace of Financial Alternative. The net device helps folks display for advantages program eligibility, discover ways to apply, collect required paperwork and discover native help.
Entry NYC helped Gary Neighborhood Ventures leaders shortly create their very own comparable MyFriendBen device, they mentioned.
“These applications can meaningfully cut back poverty and have all kinds of results on training and well being,” Henson mentioned.
“And the rationale that folk aren’t accessing advantages shouldn’t be as a result of they don’t find out about them or they don’t suppose they’re eligible,” she mentioned. “There’s a variety of complexity throughout these methods however ensuring folks know what’s there and that it could be related for his or her family looks like one of many simpler issues to handle and it will possibly make an enormous distinction and have an effect on a family’s month-to-month bills and pocketbook.”
