$1.58M to boost public benefits navigation in Bastrop County

Three organizations serving Bastrop County will receive $1.58 million from St. David’s Foundation to help residents access public benefits, food, healthcare and other financial support.

Why it is needed

St. David's Foundation officials announced in a news release that local recipients will use the funding to reduce enrollment barriers and connect eligible residents with available support.

“Too often, the systems designed to support people during times of financial hardship are the very systems that can be hardest to navigate,” CEO and president Edward Burger said. "These grants invest in trusted community organizations that are breaking down barriers, connecting people to critical resources and helping ensure our safety net works with greater dignity, accessibility and impact for all.”

Zooming in

Grant recipients serving Bastrop County include:

1. Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry: The grant will fund trained benefits navigators at Bastrop County food pantries to help eligible residents enroll in programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and Marketplace coverage. The model aims to reduce transportation, language, digital access and geographic barriers through bilingual outreach and community partnerships.

2. Career Tracks: The grant will fund the Bridge to Benefits Rural Collaborative in Bastrop County, which will help eligible rural residents enroll in programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and WIC. The effort will focus on reducing transportation, digital access and system-navigation barriers for low-income households, older adults, people with disabilities and working families.

3. Texas Legal Services Center: The grant will support a partnership between Texas Legal Services Center and Community Health Centers of South Central Texas to help Bastrop County residents appeal denials, disenrollments and overpayment claims involving programs such as SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, CHIP, WIC and SNAP. The partnership will embed legal aid within rural health centers to improve access to benefits for clients facing appeals.

Zooming out

The foundation's We All Benefit 2.0: Building Economic Stability grants are intended to reduce enrollment barriers and connect eligible residents with available support.

McPherson noted the program isn't only about providing grant money.

“With these organizations, we're not just funding them,” said senior program officer Kim McPherson. “We'll be bringing them together in cohorts for them to learn from one another and have access to technical assistance. We're hoping there'll be a little bit of magic and beauty created when there are some peer learning opportunities.”

Over the three-year funding period, St. David's Foundation officials expect to connect more than 60,000 Central Texas residents to programs that increase incomes and improve access to food and healthcare, according to the release.

Why it matters

McPherson said about one-third of residents struggle to pay their bills each month, and many may qualify for public benefits that could ease that financial strain.

“If you're not sure you're eligible, ask, get help and go to one of these organizations,” McPherson said. “They are there because they want to help you. They are going to make you feel supported. They are not going to make you feel rushed. If it turns out that you're eligible, that can be a game changer for not just you but your entire family.”