- Hunger Task Force Advocates Eric, Mar Mar, and Fue are now on-site at ILC to help students apply for benefits
- Advocates can also help students apply for Badger Care and child care; Fue offers language support in Hmong
- Mar Mar helps Leh Moo fill out her 6-month update and shows her where to sign her name.
- Mar Mar says about 65% of the people she has seen so far at ILC are past clients. She offers language in Burmese.
If you’ve ever tried to apply for health care or other assistance, you know how confusing it can be. Imagine the challenge for someone new to the country, with limited English and literacy skills.
This summer, ILC is launching a new partnership with Hunger Task Force to help refugee students apply for Food Share and other benefits. In-house Advocates are available to assist anyone with Food Share, W2 and child care applications and renewals. “This is a great partnership for our students,” said ILC Instructional Supervisor Cynthia Zarazua. The service fills a real need in the refugee community: convenient access to social services, with language support and advocacy. These services are available to everyone in the community.
Self-sufficiency can be a struggle for adult refugees. Workers with limited English are often limited to low-wage jobs, and may cycle in and out of temporary and seasonal work. Keeping up-to-date with benefits can be both daunting, and essential for building a new life in the US. ILC’s partnership with Hunger Task Force empowers refugees to understand and navigate the social service systems that are available to them.
Hunger Task Force believes that every person has a right to adequate food obtained with dignity, and was responsible for bringing 175 donated turkeys to ILC at Thanksgiving last year!