Goshen HELP available

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
With the goal of helping poverty in six different counties, Weston County included, Goshen HELP has scheduled a meeting at the Pinnacle Bank community room on Oct. 13 at 11 a.m. This meeting, according to Pinnacle Bank President Justin Tystad, will give community stakeholders the opportunity to learn about and possibly assist Goshen HELP with their mission moving forward. 
“Goshen HELP is a community action agency. Our primary source of funding is via a community services block grant,” said Kyle Borger, a spokesperson with the program. “We have a contract with the State of Wyoming Department of Health to administer this grant in six counties: Carbon, Crook, Goshen, Niobrara, Washakie and Weston.” 
The grant’s focus, Borger said, is addressing poverty in communities. 
“While it can and does provide direct services to those in need, it is primarily meant to focus on addressing the causes of poverty by creating local solutions to local problems,” Broger said. “This year Goshen HELP will focus on helping our customers in your community build their asset capacity through budgets and financial reviews in an effort to build up a financial reserve, and to provide affordable housing resources through utility and rent assistance. There are other resources that can be provided so long as they address one of those two activities.” 
He noted that services will be provided over the phone and eventually via video conference.
“Our primary goal is to provide case management to customers to help them become self-sufficient rather than providing aid that keeps them where they are,” Broger said. “It is also to partner and work in the communities we serve to find solutions to the causes of poverty in each community.” 
For more information, visit goshenhelp.com or find the organization on Facebook.