Office on wheels brings EBT cards, resources to rural Snohomish County

GOLD BAR — Staff from the Department of Social and Health Services drove their office — a truck — to Gold Bar on Tuesday to help low-income residents enroll in or renew benefits.

Melissa Knox, a mobile community services office supervisor, said the truck is part of the DSHS Economic Services Administration’s effort to improve customer service. They also want to make sure eligible folks enroll in Washington’s Basic Food program — commonly known as food stamps or SNAP.

“We try to go out into the community to places where there is a distance from the office,” Knox said. “People are so relieved when we come to the community, because the state is working as hard as they possibly can to get wait times down on the phones and to increase access, but there can be significant wait times.”

DSHS has brick-and-mortar offices around the state, a phone line and online services. But the truck improves access.

People can walk off the truck with a Basic Food electronic benefits transfer, or EBT, card immediately. On Tuesday, that’s exactly what Adriana Rodriguez Cerna did.

“I’m very excited because right now things are very expensive, food costs a lot,” she said, while holding the youngest of her three children.

Rodriguez Cerna, who spoke to The Daily Herald in Spanish, lives in Gold Bar and works at a restaurant. She came on Tuesday because it can take 25 minutes to drive to the DSHS office in Monroe. She also really liked that a bilingual staff person on the truck helped her with the application.

The Basic Food program not only helps families afford groceries, but it also acts as a type of gateway to other services. Community nonprofits might not have the resources to screen people for income eligibility, so they rely on an EBT card as proof.

On the truck, staff can assess eligibility for other programs as well, helping people start applications and renewals for cash assistance, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and some types of Medicaid.

That includes the Medicare Savings Program that helps low-income seniors pay for some Medicare premiums, and even deductibles and copays, depending on income. Starting in 2023, only income is considered, not resources or assets.

Knox said they are trying to get the word out at these events about the Medicare Savings Program change: “My personal experience is that it’s going to allow more people who really are living on a very fixed income — a very tight budget — to be able to access this health insurance.”

The mobile community services office educates people at job fairs, veterans’ resource fairs and other community events, where people might not realize they are eligible for some safety net programs. Two trucks, each with a staff of five, cover the entire state.

Mobile community services staff can give an “identicard” form to those people eligible for food assistance. This allows them to get an ID card at the Department of Licensing for just $5. Without assistance, a Washington ID card costs $54 to $78. IDs can be required to apply for jobs, stay in a shelter and access other services.

The mobile team also rolls to communities who have experienced disasters, such as the floods in Whatcom County in 2021 and wildfires around the state. The truck has its own generator so it can function even when the local DSHS office doesn’t have power. People might qualify for disaster food assistance if they evacuated or lost power for days, or in the worst case, if their home was destroyed.

Knox added: “It really is the heart and the desire of ESA (the Economic Services Administration) and the Community Services Division to reach people. We have a goal of decreasing poverty and our staff work very diligently to try and do as much as we possibly can with this resource — the truck.”

Resources

Check the Mobile Community Services calendar or call them at 877-501-2233. Snohomish and neighboring counties are in the “West” region: dshs.wa.gov/esa/calendar

Nearby dates and locations include Feb. 2 in Carnation; Feb. 15 in Granite Falls; and Feb. 16 in Sedro-Woolley.

Medicare Savings Program: hca.wa.gov/free-or-low-cost-health-care

The WithinReach helpline and website offers free help to find health and social services: 800-322-2588 or parenthelp123.org

We will continue to report on access to health care in 2023. If you have faced barriers to accessing timely, convenient or affordable care in Snohomish County, please fill out this brief form: forms.gle/DcgfccCvwqVTh6Sk7

Correction: This article was updated on Feb. 2, 2023 to clarify that staff can help with other forms of cash assistance, not just Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

Joy Borkholder: 425-339-3430; joy.borkholder@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @jlbinvestigates.