INVESTMENT IN SNAP OUTREACH PROMISES TO REACH NEW COMMUNITIES
On March tenth, members across different SNAP teams arrived at World Relief’s Education Center, welcomed by a packed room. Immigrants and refugees from a variety of home countries were divided out by their native language: Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic, Dari, and Pashto.
“Thank you for coming today to learn more about SNAP,” Nicole Bishop, SNAP’s Strategic Partnership Coordinator, says to open the workshop.
As soon as she spoke, five interpreters turned to each respective section and translated to their attentive audience. Nicole continued to share about SNAP programs, culminating in two opportunities: They could sign up to receive help applying for Washington’s new Working Families Tax Credit and/or they could meet with one of three SNAP energy workers to have a live energy appointment.
SNAP was scheduled to attend from 2:00-4:00pm, but the event was so well-attended that staff remained onsite until after 5:00pm. Over the course of those few hours, the three energy workers were able to have appointments with 26 families. An additional 16 families were scheduled for phone appointments the following week, totaling 42 families who left the event with the likelihood of receiving help with their energy bill.
Events like this have been made possible thanks to SNAP’s recent investment in outreach. As of the start of this year, SNAP has two dedicated outreach staff that enables the agency to attend community events and resource fairs and proactively provide outreach, particularly to agencies that serve marginalized communities.
SNAP’s partnership with World Relief, a humanitarian organization that focuses on helping refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations rebuild their lives in a new country, is possible thanks to the redoubled investment in outreach.
“Thank you to SNAP and all their staff who have come to help,” says Kazim Abdullahi, one of World Relief’s community ambassadors. “Thank you for all you’ve done for our community in Spokane to educate them about their utility bill, help them with rental assistance, and filing taxes. You guys are the best!”
A large part of what makes this focused outreach effort possible is a grant that intends to spread awareness of and sign-ups for Washington’s new Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC). The WFTC can provide a credit of up to $1,200 to Washington residents who had any earned income in 2022 and meet the tax credit’s income guidelines. You can find out more information about the WFTC HERE.
“So many people who qualify for SNAP services would also qualify for the Working Families Tax Credit,” says Nicole, who is leading SNAP’s outreach efforts. “The overlap of SNAP and tax credit clients allows us to reach our community with additional support. It’s a great way for us to get out there.”
The following Saturday, SNAP went again to World Relief, this time with a focus on providing tax support to the agency’s robust Afghani community. Again the event was attended beyond original projections, and Kazim remained on-site to ensure all 29 attendees we served.
SNAP brought professional tax preparers who set up to help families complete their federal taxes, a prerequisite to submitting the application for the WFTC. Dari and Pashto interpreters were also available to make the process more seamless. By the end of the day, families present were able to get refunds totaling over $13,000, while many others were able to receive supplemental services offered by SNAP.
“It was incredible to provide these services to people in such need. Some of the families had over seven children they were caring for on a low income,” says Nicole. “Their eyes would light up when they learned they’d receive tax credits to help them out.”
SNAP will now begin monthly workshops with World Relief, specializing on different communities and cultures at each workshop. Similar events have taken place with Manzanita House, Thrive International, Next Generation Zone, and Spokane Public Schools.
The agency’s investment in outreach allows SNAP to continue to build and grow these partnerships, while placing tax credits and SNAP services into the hands of more neighbors – especially those who have not previously accessed SNAP’s services.
“Working with SNAP and their fantastic team these past weeks and weekends has been a pleasure,” says Kazim. “I can’t wait to work with them more.”
Those interested in learning more about the Working Families Tax Credit, or working with SNAP to host a workshop or application drive can reach out to SNAP’s new Outreach Team at: outreachteam@snapwa.org or submit an inquiry at www.snapwa.org/tax.