Description:NOEP Coordinator Helps Food Insecure Households
SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps
NOEP stands for Nutritional Outreach Education Program. The job of the Coordinator is to help people access needed benefits. The position is made possible through Hunger Solutions NY which offers free, confidential, one-on-one services that help hungry New Yorkers get nutrition assistance. NOEP Coordinators are based in community agencies like Unity House but travel within the community quite a bit. They help applicants gather documentation for, fill out, and send in an application for SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps.
Are you a Rensselaer County resident and need Food Stamps? Contact us at (518) 274-2607 ext. 4108
About Food Insecurity
Technically defined by the USDA as “when consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year”, food insecurity affects more than 42 million Americans nationwide. A staggering 13 million of those are children.
SNAP benefits are an important part of the nationwide food security safety net and are a tested government benefit program available to almost all households with low incomes. However, securing needed benefits can have its challenges. That’s why the role of the NOEP Coordinator is so important: they can go out into areas of the community that may not have be ability to visit the Dept. of Social Services or a community resource center like Unity House. They can answer questions and help with certification, re-certification and questions about benefits. With their thorough knowledge of the program, they can even help with understanding denials and help with filing of appeals.
You can find The Front Door, Unity House’s community resource center located at 2431 sixth Avenue in Troy. One advantage of having a home base in Unity House is that consumers can access other services while here: a community meal or a visit to the food pantry, for example. Of course, there are other Unity House services and programs for those who might benefit.
For more information on food stamps and NOEP, Unity House’s food programs, or other Unity House services, please contact us at (518) 274-2607 x4108.