January 29, 2010
REPS. JOHNSON & FLEXER ANNOUNCE NEW PROGRAM
TO HELP FOOD STAMP RECIPIENTS RECEIVE JOB TRAINING
State Representatives Susan Johnson (D-Windham) and Mae Flexer (D-Killingly, Plainfield, Sterling) joined community leaders at an event on Friday to kick off the region's SNAP-ET collaborative, a new program that will help provide recipients of food stamps in the Northeastern Connecticut region with an opportunity to receive greater access to job training and other education tools needed to find employment and become financially secure.
“I am honored to stand here with the folks from Access who do such wonderful work,” said Representative Johnson. “I am grateful that they have agreed to take the lead on this program. SNAP-ET is a way for people to fight their way out of poverty though training and education.”
“This speaks volumes to the organizations in our region that are working together to improve services for SNAP recipients,” said Representative Flexer. “Not only will this increase recipients' ability to gain employment though enhanced training opportunities, but it also brings home much needed federal aid as a funding source.”
SNAP-ET, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program's Employment and Training Program, provides reimbursement for services that provide food stamp recipients with the skills and support services they need to find regular employment.
This federal program offers a 50-cents-on-the-dollar match to organizations – public or private – that help food stamp recipients find better employment. Expenses can include adult education, securing equivalency diplomas, post-secondary education, transportation, child care, and case management, among others.
Wanting to utilize the program in the region, Representatives Johnson and Flexer brought local organizations together at a series of meetings during which the Windham Region Collaborative SNAP-ET program was created.
Participating organizations in the Windham Region Collaborative SNAP-ET stand to receive more than $1.5 million in federal reimbursements this year – the second largest amount awarded in the state.
Windham's Access Community Action Agency was named the lead agency of the collaborative. Eastern Connecticut State University, Quinebaug Valley Community College, EastConn Adult Education, and United Services are also providers participating for reimbursement.
Peter DeBiasi, the President and CEO of the Access Community Action Agency added, “I'm pleased that Access is able to be the lead agency on this important initiative. It's a great opportunity to increase resources that can be used to help food stamp recipients prepare for and find employment. Another great thing about the collaborative is that it will capture available federal funds that will be used to reduce child poverty. Working together to use our local resources more effectively and bringing more resources to the region are two critical factors in the community's ability to support families during these very difficult economic times.”
Towns in the Windham Region Collaborative SNAP-ET program are Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Columbia, Coventry, Eastford, Hampton, Killingly, Mansfield, Plainfield, Pomfret, Putnam, Scotland, Sterling, Thompson, Tolland, Union, Willington, Windham, Woodstock.
Other members of the Windham Region Collaborative not seeking reimbursement are: WRCC Inc; Co-Opportunity Inc; Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board (EWIB); Willimantic Covenant Soup Kitchen; Windham Human Service Department; Coventry Human Service Department and Mansfield Human Service Department.