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Worcester, Massachusetts - The Resiliency Center of Worcester Community Action Council, Inc. (WCAC) will kickoff a series of monthly Community Clinics on Monday, May 6, 2024 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at its main building located at 18 Chestnut Street, Worcester. Community partners from throughout the region will be available to assist individuals interested in learning more about community resources available to them.
Reducing the amount of time and personal resources that it takes for people to physically navigate and access services form point to point in the City has been a key goal of WCAC's Resiliency Center since its inception. "In order for people to be able to access benefits and services without having to travel all over the city, we are gathering providers together to assist people with navigating and applying for services and benefits on site," explained Maydee Morales, WCAC's Resiliency Center Director.
Participating organizations for the May 6th clinic include: Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Central MA; Central MA Agency on Aging offering resources for grandparents raising grandchildren; Worcester Family Resource Center; TUFTS offering information about Senior Care options; Quinsigamond Community College offering information about several new free educational opportunities; Regional Environmental Council Mobile Market with a bag of fresh fruits and vegetables for the first fifty attendees; National Grid for utility assistance; Walgreens offering COVID vaccines; Central West Justice Center, a affiliate of Community Legal Aid ; WIC; Center for Living & Working; and the Department of Transitional Assistance. WCAC staff will also be onsite offering assistance with LIHEAP home heating help, financial empowerment programs and the agency's Job & Education Center.
The idea for the community clinics originated with Worcester's Food Task Force which identified a gap between those eligible for assistance and those completing applications for SNAP - the state's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program formerly known as food stamps. WCAC has subsequently added a SNAP Outreach Coordinator to its Resiliency Center team specifically to address this need.
In addition to the planned community clinics, Blanca Daviau, WCAC's SNAP Outreach Coordinator will also host regularly scheduled outreach at food pantries and other organizations throughout the area to assist individuals specifically in completing SNAP applications as well as accessing other resources they may be eligible for. "Individuals can often become overwhelmed by the process of accessing benefits," Daviau said. "I'm excited to work with clients to ensure they are maximizing the vast community resources available to them." WCAC's SNAP Outreach calendar can be found online at www.WCAC.net
WCAC's CEO Marybeth Campbell noted an increase in WCAC clients facing food insecurity and said she is pleased the agency is working to break down barriers for those trying to access assistance. "The process of accessing assistance can be daunting to the point of highly inefficient for our clients, especially those who may need support and services from several organizations simultaneously. We are working to eliminate barriers to access support and bring our various community partners together to create a more streamlined option for our shared clients," Campbell said.
Future Community Clinics at WCAC are planned for June 3, July 8, August 5 September 9, October 7, November 4 and December 2.
Attendees should utilize One Maple Place for GPS to access visitor parking. Clinics will be located in the Walnut Wing Conference & Intake Space located in the basement level of 18 Chestnut Street, Worcester. Visitor parking is available in the lot to the back of the building, adjacent to the basement level entrance.
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