EPI and the Immigrant Coalition of Rhode Island will co-host a virtual town hall with the Rhode Island Department of Human Services on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The webinar will be held from 12 to 1:30 PM and accessible via Zoom. The event’s purpose is to inform immigration advocates, community organizations, social workers, and others about changes made to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid by the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill that was signed into law in July. Public benefits programs exist to help low-income and modest-income families meet basic needs. Access to these programs can be complicated, causing some families and individuals not to participate in the programs that could help meet their needs and for which they are eligible. For many years, EPI has provided an online Guide to Assistance to offer basic information about these programs. In November 2024, more than 150 community health and social workers attended an EPI training seminar, showing that there is a strong appetite for this basic yet crucial information. “Whenever we can, EPI wants to be a clearinghouse for accurate information benefiting the public,” said Executive Director Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies, Esq. “In this time of extreme cruelty when federal policies are being weaponized against immigrant families, it is also important for EPI to stand with immigrant communities and let them know we are with them. In this regard, we are very grateful for the participation of the Immigrant Coalition of Rhode Island and, of course, the Department of Human Services, which fulfills an essential role in maintaining Rhode Island’s social safety net.” |
