 "Photo:")
This year, a group of students enrolled in The School of Social Work, which is apart of the College of Health and Human Sciences at Georgia State, is making a huge contribution toward the fight for hunger by holding a Student Benefit Screening in room 480 of the University Center on Thursday, March 26th to screen students at Georgia State for food stamps eligibility. These special students are collaborating with The Atlanta Community Food Bank for one of the organization's initiatives known as The Atlanta Prosperity Campaign (APC).
"It's called the Prosperity Campaign," said Tracie Harold, one of the students involved in putting on the screening. "And what we are doing with the Atlanta Community Food Bank is trying to increase participation and access to food stamps programs."
APC is just one of the many community service projects that the Atlanta Community Food Bank is involved in and it aims to improve the poor financial situation of some of Atlanta's hard-working families whose income is not sufficient enough to take care of their basic needs such as food.
The campaign also strives to increase the long term financial security of these families through collaborative efforts with businesses, financial institutions, social service providers, and governmental agencies. It provides these working families with existing economic benefits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and federal nutrition program. The campaign helps them build upon these assets so that they can save for the future.
Several special individuals enrolled in the Masters Program of The School of Social Work, including Tracie Herold, Lisa Cole, and Clinton Jackson, partnered up to help put on the Student Benefits Screening in an effort to put money back in the pockets of hard-working students.
"Its kind of a replacement for doing a dissertation or a master's thesis," said Herold. "So the course focuses on putting us into the community where we are actually building partnerships and practicing some of the general community and social work skills that we have learned in this program." The unique event will determine if students qualify for benefits that they were unaware of such as food stamps. Students from all over Georgia are welcome to participate.
"We have been doing outreach in the community with some of the direct service agencies and partners of the APS and we also do mobile events where we actually go to the rest of the public to screen them," explained Herold. "So one of our partners had a great idea to actually screen students who may be eligible for food stamps."
Some of the requirements students must have in order to qualify for food stamps include either being employed for at least 20 hours per week, participating in a state or federal work study program , being a single parent, or being responsible for the care of dependent children under six years of age. Also, students who receive educational income from financial aid opportunities such as the HOPE Scholarship, Pell Grant, Federal Direct Stafford Loan, and Federal Work Study Programs are eligible for food stamps.
The students hope to increase participation in food stamps program.
"A lot of people are eligible for food stamps but do not know it," explained Cole.
Roughly 35% of qualified individuals do not participate in food stamps programs due to a high unemployment rate because of the economy. Other reasons people often do not participate in food stamps program is that they do not know that they are eligible, have a difficulty time in applying, or that there is a stigma attached with social programs.
The students feel that the campaign will have a tremendous impact on the community.
"It kind of works on three levels by doing this," said Herold. "Your not only helping the economic situation of the individual but your also putting more stability in their life so that puts more stability in their employment and their children and on a larger perspective it's also putting money back into the economy. "
The Atlanta Community Food Bank, which is sponsoring the campaign, is on a mission to fight hunger, create economic justice, and to empower the community. APC will hopefully become a major contribution to this mission.
The students feel that the Student Benefits Screening will make a significant contribution as well.
"I think it's a great opportunity for students to access benefits that they are entitled to," said Jackson. "I just hope everyone comes out."
If you are a student and would like to determine if you are qualified for these benefits, please participate in the Student Benefits Screening on Thursday, March 26th, from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm in room 480 of the Student Center. Students must be residents of Georgia and enrolled at least part time in a college. For more information of if you would like to volunteer please visit www.atlantaprosperity.org.
Be the first to comment on this article!