The Neighborhood Developers, Inc. (TND) creates vibrant neighborhoods where people from all walks oflife can thrive. Focused in Chelsea and Revere, TND has crafted a remarkable track record of successthrough investments that are conceived, designed, and fostered by neighborhood residents, municipalpartners, and many stakeholders. TND brings its core strengths -- building homes, engaging neighbors,and fostering economic mobility -- to community partnerships that create thriving families and strongneighborhoods. TND created and supports the CONNECT Financial Opportunity Center that co-locatesand integrates the services of five agencies working together to improve the financial mobility of 4,000clients annually.
Based at the CONNECT office in Chelsea, the Intake & Public Benefits intern will work one-on-one to helpfamilies apply for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps),MassHealth, and WIC benefits. These public benefits have proven anti-poverty impacts for low incomefamilies and provide an important safety net. Each of these public benefits provides clients with asignificant increase to their monthly income, but many of CONNECT’s clients are missing out onaccessing these benefits due to systemic barriers in the application process, stigma associated withparticipation in government programs, or lack of awareness of eligibility. The Public Benefits intern willhelp eliminate barriers to financial stability among CONNECT’s low-income constituency throughproviding application assistance and case management support throughout the entire applicationprocess.