SNAP & Other Social Services Available

SOUTHBURY — Free social service screenings to help any Connecticut resident facing difficult times will take  place Thursday, May 19, from 10 am to 3 pm, at The Federation-Jewish Communities of Western Connecticut.

The Federation’s Brownstein Jewish Family Service has teamed up with the Connecticut Association for Human Services (CAHS) to continue offering these free monthly social service screenings, by appointment, for a dozen work support/basic needs programs, including SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps), energy assistance, HUSKY, Medicaid, and Charter Oak insurance.

The screenings have helped many Connecticut residents who are falling through the cracks and having a tough time making ends meet. Unemployed single people, families where one or both parents recently lost their jobs and health insurance, and seniors in their 80s have all been assisted.

The public is welcome to call to learn about income guidelines for SNAP and other programs for which they may be eligible. For example, the gross monthly income for SNAP eligibility for a single person is $1,671 and $2,246 for a family of two.

Applicants can own a home or a car and its value is not counted as an asset, and candidates can have a bank account, too. Since last fall, more than 60 local residents have been found eligible for food stamps during the screening.

Reservations are required for the 30-minute screening, which is given by Nera Clemente of the Connecticut Association for Human Services.

To make an appointment or for additional information, call Debby Horowitz, Brownstein Jewish Family Service Director, at 203-267-3177, extension 3. All calls are confidential.

The Federation is at 444 Main Street North (Route 6).