Financial Help for New Hampshire Families
Finding NH Financial Assistance in a Bad Economy
Aug 12, 2009
It seems that everywhere one turns today, people are discussing the economy: "I heard the market dropped 200 points yesterday," or "Kate just got laid off from her job." Though New Hampshire's unemployment rate has been slower to rise than most of the country, it was up 8,500 residents from December 2007 to December 2008. New Hampshire families have to adjust their way of life to fit their changing income, and for some, it is an extremely difficult task.
Call 2-1-1 for Help Info
New Hampshire is one of the 43 states that has 2-1-1, an easy to remember telephone number that connects callers, at no cost, to information about critical health and human services available in their community. 2-1-1 is also available online. 2-1-1 can provide information on hundreds of areas from A to Z, everything from AARP to zoning.
If one's family is one of the hundreds across NH facing eviction for non-payment of rent or being foreclosed on, they are going to need a place to live. 2-1-1 can give you contact information for shelters in NH. They can provide contact information for the local Health and Human Services office so a family can apply for Food Stamps, Medicaid or Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF)*.
2-1-1 can also refer people to their local Women, Infants and Children (WIC)* office if someone is pregnant or has children under the age of five in the home. 2-1-1 also has lists of food pantries that families can use in order to help save some money.
Department of Health and Human Services Offices Across NH
The Department of Health and Human Services has offices located across the state. DHHS applications must be done to receive assistance from the state. They can provide the following: Food Stamps, financial assistance, child care assistance, emergency assistance (for people not receiving TANF) and medical assistance (such as Medicaid or NH Healthy Kids). The office a resident visits is based on where the resident lives. Before going, be sure to check which office to go to. Every town has a welfare administrator that can direct a family to the local office.
Town Welfare Programs
Town welfare is not the same as NH DHHS. According to Michelle Kingsley, administrator of the town welfare office in Hampton, the purpose of town welfare is "to cure, or begin to cure, a current housing problem." Kingsley says that town welfare "cannot assist a family to maintain their style of living," but it can assist with basic needs, such as food, shelter or medical access, in the form of transportation to appointments. Towns vary slightly in what they can and cannot provide, so it is best to contact the local town welfare administrator. Kingsley says she can also help town residents contact other community resources, such as food pantries or homeless shelters, just like NH 2-1-1 does.
NH Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens in Demand
Communities across the state either have, or are connected to, food pantries that residents can have access to. Some pantries have restrictions on the town of residence or income level. "We do not have any income restrictions," shares Larry Brickner-Wood of the Cornucopia Food Pantry in Durham, "nor do you need to be a resident of Durham to use it. It was established in 1997 to serve primarily the UNH community, faculty, staff, students and their families, but we never turn anyone away." Brickner-Wood stated that there has been a definite increase in the demand for Cornucopias services, and that there is a constant demand for non-food items, such as paper products and personal hygiene items. There is also large demand for many household food staples, such as meat, eggs, pasta and dairy products.
Kevin Kintner at New Horizons in Manchester states that their food pantry only serves residents of Manchester, but their soup kitchen is open to the public. They also have a shelter on site, but it is only for adults. Shelter residents also eat at the soup kitchen. Kintner indicates there has not been a large increase in demand for shelter, but there has been a slight increase in the demand for the pantry. He speculates that the demand for the shelter has been lower because families chose to "double up" with other families, rather than going to a shelter. In 2008, the average length of stay at their shelter was 29 days, but it has decreased to 23 days thus far in 2009.
There are many resources for families across the state. Because every family's need is different, there is no one answer for what should be done in the face of this economic problem. The best way to access those services is to contact the town welfare administrator, or by calling 2-1-1.
*Assistance from DHHS and WIC are both income based.
All interviews were conducted via telephone on March 16, 2009.
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