St. Andrew Emergency Services in Portland.
Outreach from St. Andrew Emergency Services will help income qualified residents get the support they need. The charity will review the situation faced by the family, and offer assistance for their needs. Most of the support is available due to government grants, but some resources, such as a food pantry, are more local to the county of Multnomah.
The St. Andrew Emergency Services case management process is available to those in need. Clients range from the working poor to unemployed. Others that live on a fixed income, such as senior or someone on SSI disability, can also be clients.
The first step is to contact the agency as early as possible, as any financial aid is only paid out first come and served. For anyone that is home-bound, the Outreach Worker may allow the application to be done over the phone, or the staff will conduct a home visit. All advice is always free of charge. After all, the goal is to help families achieve independence and financial stability.
Staff will try to understand the needs of the individual and the root cause of the hardship. Based on the results, they will assist by offering financial assistance, referrals to public benefits, and education. The staff believe everybody deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, so they try to make that happen.
If the applicant is found to be qualified, and if there is money available, then emergency assistance may be issued. This can include shelter, grants for utilities or heating bills, or food. Homeless prevention, in the form of foreclosure counseling or funds for rental expenses, can be arranged too. While Saint Andrew Emergency Services will also try to help clients locate a source of funding, in some cases repayable loans will be issued.
Case managers will also help clients with setting and achieving long-term goals like building assets, opening bank accounts, establishing or repairing credit, and just in general managing a budget. St. Andrew Emergency Services will always focus on offering the skills and knowledge residents of Portland Oregon need to lead healthy productive lives.
As part of achieving independence, Transitional Housing is arranged. This is an option for after someone has experienced a homeless event. The resource has the goal of assisting families toward greater independence. It offers both affordable housing and case management to clients.
While using this program, the head of the household will have the ability to work toward the achievement of goals. This touches on increasing income as well as budgeting. Another focus of the transitional housing program is to allow people time to find a new or better job with a higher income. Staff act as “coaches” throughout their stay.
St. Andrew Emergency Services has information on pro-bono law firms as well. Sometimes the support of an attorney can go a low way to solving problems. They can represent people in civil matters ranging from denial of benefits to stopping illegal eviction in Multnomah County. They will help with paperwork, explain court procedures, and maybe even represent a client in court. This is always appreciated by clients when they are faced with a difficult time.
Other resources from referrals
St. Andrew Emergency Services is also a source for information on other benefits in state of Oregon. Some of the more common ones for very low income families are as follows. The agency can guide clients through the application process.
- Weatherization is an energy conservation program. It works by providing grants to low-income homeowners and renters to reduce energy bills by improving the efficiency of their home.
- Food assistance is available. The two greatest requests to St. Andrew are for applications to WIC supplements as well as SNAP food stamps.
- LIHEAP - Energy Crisis Intervention is state and federal funded. It provides emergency financial assistance for home heating bills.
- Educational support, including from Head Start, which is a national preschool program.
- Credit counseling include Home Ownership programs from HUD counseling agencies. These can help prevent foreclosures in Portland.
The above is a sample of some of the public benefits that are commonly requested. For more information on any services from St. Andrew Emergency Services, call 971-244-0339.
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