Goshen Help wants to provide assistance

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Goshen Help is a community action agency that is currently working on establishing roots in Weston County. The Torrington–based agency administers funding, primarily from the federal Community Service Block Grant program, for Weston, Niobrara, Washakie, Goshen, Crook and Carbon counties in conjunction with the Wyoming Department of Health. 
“Our contract with the Wyoming Department of Health stipulates what we will do in a year. This year we were contacted to provide affordable housing assistance, through rent and utility assistance, as well as other things to help people stay in their homes or get into a home in Weston County,” Director Kyle Borger said. 
Goshen Help, Borger said, is more than just financial help. He explained that the program is meant to help those who are struggling to become self-sufficient by identifying and addressing the cause of their struggles. 
“We are trying to address the causes of the issues and help people stay in their homes or obtain housing. We want to make sure they are going to be OK the month after too,” Borger said. 
The goal of Goshen Help is to provide stabilization to the people struggling in the six counties it currently represents, he said. 
“We don’t want to be a one-time fix. We will work with them on budgeting, help with finances, going over their expenses, helping to find cheaper housing if needed and making sure that they have sufficient income for their expenses,” Borger said. “Hopefully, when we are done assisting, the individual can be a viable member of the community instead of needing future assistance.” 
While the agency doesn’t define the number of times it will help a person, staff is restricted to helping those who have the ability to participate and work to better themselves and their situation. 
“There are times we can’t help people if they are unwilling to work on goals for better income and adjusting expenses. If they are unwilling to do anything to improve, they are not going to be a fit for the program,” Borger said. “There will be times that someone says, ‘Just give me the money,’ and this program doesn’t work that way. We want to help make healthy communities.” 
The grant used as the backbone of the Goshen Help program isn’t enough to tackle solving the affordable housing issue for everyone in Weston County. Borger said that the agency also works to bring other resources together for people. 
“We partner with local agencies. We are people helping people. Goshen Help takes care of the paperwork
and tries to free time up for people
to do great things. We want to
provide another resource,” Borger said. “That is the idea. To make that money work better with the intent of finding solutions.” 
According to Borger, the federal grant requires a needs assessment, which is the purpose of the community meetings being held in Weston County. The assessment is almost complete, he said. 
“We will work with the community members to develop a plan to address those needs,” Borger said, adding that Goshen Help is working on the grant application for 2022. 
The main need of the agency now is getting the Weston County community involved in the program. 
“What we do in the community we want to be owned by the community, done by the community and supported by the community. That requires volunteers. We are trying to build connections and opportunities to give back through Goshen Help. We don’t want to be an outside entity that does stuff but is not a part of the community,” Borger said.  
Goshen Help is still here to provide financial assistance for rent and utilities and begin addressing the issues of those needing the assistance, he said, and the 2022 grant application process does not affect the agency’s ability to service current needs.
To access more information or fill out an application, Borger said, people can visit goshenhelp.com, where there is a link to the application and other various assistance programs. Those who find navigating the website overwhelming can call 307-532-0269 Monday through Friday between 1 and 5 p.m. 
“We are working on getting a brochure put together to get our information out there. Right now, it is really easy to get online and fill everything out on the website,” Borger said.