New Benefits Program Provides Families With Life-Saving Resources CHI Teams Up With The Children’s Trust To Help Families Access Benefits

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As a working mother of two school-age children, Yozuhara Delgadillo found herself struggling to put food on the table. In spite of her back pain, Delgadillo managed to find work as a housekeeper, while her husband worked as a gardener.

 

“The job wasn’t steady,” Delgadillo said. “We could not rely on a steady income.” The Delgadillo family faced the same problem every month struggling to pay rent and keeping up with other household costs. Their lives were filled with anxiety and fear over their finances.

Then, her kid’s school referred her to Community Health of South Florida, Inc. (CHI) for help. Delgadillo learned that she was eligible for more than just food stamps. Thanks to CHI’s Benefits Enrollment Program, which helps anyone caring for children access a wide range of benefits, Delgadillo could soon breathe a sigh of relief.

Now, Delgadillo’s children have access to food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and her two sons, who are 11 and 8, have health care coverage through Florida’s Health Insurance Program KidCare.

Eunice Hines, Director of Migrant Health Services & Outreach at CHI, said anyone can apply for benefits regardless of their immigration status.

“It’s all about the community and linking them to needed services,” she said. “We offer 18 benefits, but even if the services they need are not on the list, we can help them out through other means, either by linking them to churches or other agencies.”

Through this program, CHI and The Children’s Trust have teamed up to close care gaps and reduce barriers for families. The team helps enroll families in a host of programs including cash assistance, school lunch, Medicaid, social security, housing energy assistance, childcare assistance and much more.

“I really do not know what we would have done without this help,” Delgadillo said. “They made it so easy and there were no judgments.”

If you or your family need this assistance, you can call (305) 252-4871.