WYO HELP offers assistance

 
Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
WYO HELP has helped to distribute almost $190,000 in assistance to Weston County residents, according to case manager Tanya Hespe. 
The money, Hespe said, is mostly from the Emergency Rental assistance Program. According to the Wyoming Department of Family Services, the program is a U.S. Treasury initiative passed through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and expanded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
“So far, in the last 10 months, we (WYO HELP) have contributed almost $9,000,” Hespe said. “For the ERAP assistance, we have $180,000 that we have applied for. That is only the application we have provided assistance for, not those who did it on their own, and that is just for Weston County.” 
Hespe, in her role with the organization, helps county residents fill out their applications for assistance and access other assistance they may be eligible for. 
“It (applying) can be a hard process, especially for the elderly population. There is a learning curve, and it can be frustrating,” she said. 
Hespe said that she took on the job for the past 10 months so she could help people. 
“I was in health care for 20 years and wanted a change, but nothing too big. I am still helping people but in a different way,” Hespe said. “There have been learning curves with the job; there is lots I didn’t know.”
With people stretched thin because the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, the number of people needing assistance is continuing
to increase. 
“People are struggling to get caught up, even if they didn’t ‘lose their jobs,’” Hespe said. 
“The financial repercussions of COVID have proven to be long lasting, especially for those who are already spread thin,” she said. “The further someone falls behind, the harder it is to catch up. With the eviction moratorium, landlords are increasingly being left behind as well. I am glad for the opportunity to help both sides get back on their feet.” 
Rental assistance is not the only help WYO HELP offers. According to Hespe, the organization can also help with reasonable relocation expenses, security deposits, utilities including electricity, energy costs, water and sewer and up to $50 for internet service. 
In addition to housing-related expenses, she said, WYO HELP can assist in paying for mental health services, automobile repairs, food, medical expenses and other health-related obstacles. 
“People need to know that someone is here to help. In the last month, I have applied for over $10,000 in rental assistance for each (town) – Newcastle and Upton – along with utility assistance,” Hespe said. 
As one of the newest organizations of its type in the nation, WYO HELP has been operating under that name for the last 10 months. Previously, the organizations operated under the name GOSHEN Help. WYO HELP serves the communities in Carbon, Crook, Goshen, Niobrara, Washakie and Weston counties.