The Renewal Notice

On Saturday, December 13th from 9:00am to noon, the McAllen Public Library will be partnering with the South Texas Promotora Association to offer free assistance to the public with applying for state benefits or renewing their registration for benefits with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. This includes SNAP food benefits, Medicaid, CHIP, TANF, Medicare, and long-term care. To learn more about these benefits, see the Health and Human Services Commission How to Get Help page. For immediate help, you can also call the commission’s 211 hotline at any time. In Hidalgo County, roughly 35.8% of the population is enrolled in Medicaid. The goal of this partnership is to make these state benefits available to everyone who is in need.

Health and Human Services Commission Press Release:

In an effort to open new access points for families to apply on-line for “Your Texas Benefits” or to renew their benefits, Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has established its Community Partner Program, whereby community-based organizations volunteer to assist people with their electronic application process.  By moving away from paper applications to on-line applications, HHSC can provide more efficient service and respond quickly to the applicants.

As new HHSC community partners, the McAllen Public Library and South Texas Promotora Association, Inc. (STPA) are coming together to host a special event on Saturday, December 13.  From 9am to noon that day, STPA Your Texas Benefits Navigators will offer free assistance to the public in submitting new applications or renewals on-line to HHSC.  The McAllen Public Library will provide the computers and internet service also free of charge.  This event represents a new model of collaboration for the HHSC Community Partner Program whereby public libraries provide the technology services and community-based organizations provide the certified navigator volunteers.

A 9am inauguration will include representatives from HHSC, Baylor University’s Texas Hunger Initiative, Texas Impact, Texas Association of Community Health Centers and the RGV 2-1-1 call center, all of whom are members of the Community Partner Recruitment Initiative.