Accessing Help from the Government
by Marina Duron

Accessing Help from the government may not be as painstaking a process as the masses believe it to be.  A plethora of services exist to help the forlorn.  One must simply take the time to do the research and be mentally prepared to exercise the often forgotten personal virtue of patience.  Tenacity is another helpful attribute when one is seeking to utilize social services.

Raising healthy children is a high priority to all parents, but for struggling families on a modest budget it can be difficult to adequately provide nutritious choices for their growing children.  The WIC program is designed to serve low income families by offering pregnant women, as well as children age five and younger, vouchers which are to be used only for purchasing nutritious foods.  The vouchers can be redeemed at local participating markets or WIC affiliated centers.  One young mother pointed out that she preferred the WIC affiliated food centers because it reduces the stigma attached to shopping with vouchers.  All customers that shop at WIC food centers are recipients of the program. 

Healthy Families, an income-qualified program, is dedicated to serving children who lack adequate medical insurance.  This program offers health insurance with widely accepted insurance companies, such as Blue Shield and Blue Cross.  For as little as nine dollars a month a minor child can have access to medical, vision and dental insurance.

Need is determined on a case by case basis. That being said, there is no guarantee that a penniless person will receive cash aid or food stamps, but they may be able to reap the benefits of free legal aid or county linked job fairs.  Prior convictions can hinder one’s opportunity to secure employment, and for that reason some ex-convicts may need to utilize resources from the government.  Did you know that the Social Services Department in your county provides its clients with free legal aid that can assist individuals in having certain types of convictions expunged from their record?  Want to work, but do not have child care?  Subsidized day care programs for income qualified working parents exist in many counties.  Even Mental Health and Substance Abuse programs can be accessed in surrounding areas.

Ricky Brown an Employment Services Specialist for the County of San Bernardino explained that, “the purpose of the program is to guide its participants to self sufficiency.”  The process is not complete when the person becomes a recipient of benefits, but rather, when they can adequately provide for themselves and their families without the assistance of the government. 

To access some of the programs offered in your community contact the Department of Public Social Services for the County of San Bernardino at (909) 933-6330.