Three organizations serving Bastrop County will receive $1.58 million from St. David's Foundation. The funding will help residents access public benefits, food, healthcare and other financial support, the foundation said in a news release.
The Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry will fund trained benefits navigators to help eligible residents enroll in programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and Marketplace coverage. Career Tracks will fund the Bridge to Benefits Rural Collaborative, which will help rural residents enroll in SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and WIC. Texas Legal Services Center, with Community Health Centers of South Central Texas, will help residents appeal denials, disenrollments and overpayment claims for programs including SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, CHIP, WIC and SNAP.
CEO and president Edward Burger said the systems meant to support people during financial hardship can be hard to navigate. Senior program officer Kim McPherson said the grant recipients will meet in cohorts to learn from one another and receive technical assistance. Over the three-year funding period, the foundation expects to connect more than 60,000 Central Texas residents to programs that increase incomes and improve access to food and healthcare, according to the release.