County of Guilford issued the following announcement on Nov. 20.
November 12th – November 20th is National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week! This week the Guilford County Continuum of Care will be highlighting several initiatives that are being implemented by our member agencies.
Last (but certainly not least)? The Servant Center’s SOAR Program!
Did you know that around 40% of the homeless population is disabled (www.policyadvice.net) and that only 15% of homeless individuals that apply for SSI/SSDI benefits without assistance are approved? Individuals who are living on the street or in shelters and who often have a mental illness, medical impairments, and/or co-occurring substance abuse disorders struggle navigate the SSA process to get benefits. This is where The Servant Center steps in.
SOAR (SSI/SSDI, Outreach, Access and Recovery) is a SAMHSA evidence-based model meant to increase access to and reduce wait-times for SSI/SSDI for those experiencing homelessness. The Servant Center has the only county-wide dedicated SOAR case workers in Guilford County who are specially trained to file SSI/SSDI applications for individuals experiencing homelessness. The Servant Center’s approval rate is 65%+.
SSI/SSDI benefits impact an individual’s access to Medicaid/Medicare and provide valuable resources to help them find and secure housing.
In addition, The Servant Center also assists clients with Food and Nutrition Services (SNAP) applications. Receiving SNAP benefits helps with food insecurities, adds more disposable income for out of the pocket medical expenses and also helps lend stability to a family.
Note: Clients can be referred to the SOAR Program by local homeless service providers and/or the local hospital system.
Learn more about The Servant Center and their work in Guilford County by visiting: https://www.theservantcenter.org/
You can learn more about National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week here: https://hhweek.org/
Original source can be found here.
