Critical and important assistance and services

To the Editor;

The Department of Health and Human Services ((DHHS) will be starting local eligibility determination and assistance services for public benefits, programs and services such as SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid, TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), Long Term Care, Child Care Subsidy, etc. Two Eligibility Determination Specialists from the Bangor DHHS office will be stationed every month at PENQUIS on North Street in Dover-Foxcroft on the first Thursday, starting at 9 a.m. to help local residents access critical and important assistance and services.

These services are for all residents — expectant families, families and their children, adults and seniors. If you need services, or are experiencing problems receiving services, these Specialists will help you to figure things out.

No appointment is necessary; all assistance will be provided on a “drop-in basis.” If transportation is needed to/from the PENQUIS office, you can contact LYNX by calling 974-2420 or 1-855-437-5883. There may be a small charge for this service if you are not already a DHHS client. If this is a problem for you, we can help. You can e-mail us at hhhpiscataquis@gmail.com or leave a message at 564-8245.

The DHHS kiosk will remain at PENQUIS and is another option for residents to start their applications for assistance, update their personal file, or provide documentation.

Helping Hands with Heart (HHH) is a local collaborative of agencies and concerned residents who have worked together for nearly 20 years to support services, education and programs for families and children in our region. We have worked on restoring the physical “presence” of DHHS in our county for more than eight years and are pleased to be able to report some progress on this effort. Earlier this session of the Legislature, Senator Paul Davis introduced legislation to promote this opportunity through a Study that was conducted to determine need.

Given that the average resident of Piscataquis County must travel between 1-2.5 hours one way to get to the Bangor DHHS office, it has been difficult for many residents to obtain the services that they need. The visits by these Eligibility Determination Specialists will help to expand access to our area residents by reducing the travel distance.

HHH is very appreciative of our legislative delegation — Senator Paul Davis and Representatives Norm Higgins and Paul Stearns — for their advocacy in helping to make this happen. Senator Davis’ bill was passed by the Legislature, vetoed by the Governor and then received a unanimous override by the Legislature in this last session. We are pleased to have been able to work together with our legislative delegation, the DHHS staff from the Bangor office and local service providers to expand access to local residents.

If you have questions about this opportunity, you can call 564-8245 and leave a message, or email hhhpiscataquis@gmail.com, and we will get right back to you.

These services will be available on the first Thursday of the month, starting on Thursday, July 7 at 9 a.m. at the PENQUIS office on North Street, Dover-Foxcroft. We will be tracking use to hopefully expand this service if the need is demonstrated.

Sue Mackey Andrews
Helping Hands with Heart
Dover-Foxcroft