Maya Angelou, popular poet, and civil rights activist once said, “If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.” These sentiments are what United Way of Greater Mercer County (UWGMC) lives by. They diligently work to assist financially fragile families overcome challenges from daily-living and unexpected events such as the loss of a job, coronavirus, and rising cost of the basics – food, gas, housing, and prescriptions.
They are not new to this work. Your local United Way has an 80+ year history of responding to community needs. What they do is not a hand-out but a hand-up. They are working to meet the basic needs of individuals and families in different ways.
Part of UWGMC’s mission is to reduce the barriers that many face to get the assistance they need. In addition to enrolling individuals to Medicaid, UWGMC is also assisting with Get Covered NJ, the state’s official health insurance marketplace and NJ SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program formerly food stamps).
Open enrollment for Get Covered NJ is from November 1 to December 31 and many who apply are eligible for financial assistance and low-cost plans. Not only is having access to health care important but it also prevents individuals from getting charged penalties for lack of health insurance when they file their NJ State Tax Return.
The NJ SNAP program provides food assistance to help individuals and families stretch their food budget and buy nutritious food to keep themselves healthy. UWGMC is helping with enrollment, and they are also assisting with retention of benefits—it is important to keep addresses updated to prevent loss of benefits.
A UWGMC Resource Specialists recently assisted a mother and her children who were living under a difficult situation enroll in emergency NJ SNAP and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). The family was also connected to affordable housing and other resources in the community such as utilities assistance. As a result, the mother and her children are living in a safe environment and are getting ahead.
From February to April UWGMC will continue to offer FREE tax preparation services to households making less than $65,000 annually. This service is vital to helping working families keep more of their hard-earned dollars for basic needs as well as apply for eligible resources in the community. Most benefit applications have a proof of income requirement and tax returns can be used to demonstrate this.
What UWGMC does best is working with various stakeholders to bring about sustainable change in the community. They are grateful to their volunteers, supporters, staff, and board of directors for their passion and dedication to Mercer County.
To learn about the many services UWGMC offers to respond to the needs of individuals and families or to make a donation, please visit www.uwgmc.org or email info@uwmc.org.
United Way of Greater Mercer County (UWGMC) shares how to get coverage for assistance such as Medicaid with enrollment for Get Covered NJ from November 1 to December 31.,
