July 23, 2008 — Many Virgin Islanders are eligible for food stamps but have not applied, said Human Services Commissioner Chris Finch during Senate budget hearings Wednesday.
“We estimate that locally approximately 50 to 55 percent of eligible people receive food samp benefits, while the national average is 67 percent,” Finch said. “To close this gap we intend to start a marketing campaign in October to ensure people know of the program and their potential eligibility.”
Human services is also investigating federal waivers and studying how to create an online application for food stamps, he said.
A government agency with many employees and programs directly benefiting thousands of families, Human Services delivers services through nine separate divisions, including Children and Families, Pre-School Services (Head Start), Juvenile Justice Services, Residential Services and Senior Citizens Affairs.
“Today, 210 senior citizens are being transported to six senior centers,” Finch said, giving a snapshot of the agency’s activities. “They receive free round-trip transportation as part of the 3,120 bus trips we will make this year, providing 55,000 rides.”
There are 68 seniors in a Human Services nursing home, and many others receive assisted-living care in the Lucinda Millin Home, Whim Gardens and Joseph James Terrace, he said. One hundred and thirty youth are in some form of intervention service, with 30 at the Youth Rehabilitation Center (YRC) on St. Croix, Finch said.
“Around 630 children from low-income families are in day care this morning, paid by our child-care subsidies,” he said. “Over 5,700 families are buying food this week with assistance from food stamps, and 2,000 people are paying bills with assistance from TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) or one of our general-assistance programs.”
Finch’s comments were part of an extensive and detailed fiscal 2009 budget presentation to the Finance Committee. Human Services is asking for $60.8 million from the territory’s General Fund, and anticipates $1 million from the Crisis Intervention Fund, $1.5 million from the Pharmaceutical Assistance Fund, $320,000 from the Home for the Aged Revolving Fund and $27.3 million in federal funds. The $60.8 million from the General Fund is an increase of $4.8 million over last year’s budget request.
Major components of the budget include $13.3 million for residential care, both on and off island.
“This one category represents 21.8 percent of our General Fund budget,” Finch said.
The territory’s two nursing homes and Meals on Wheels are to receive $7.8 million, while YRC will get $4.4 million. The commissioner’s office, which actually covers a hodgepodge of services, including homeless services, criminal victims’ compensation, maintenance, security guards and all departmental administration, will absorb $12.9 million. Senior Citizens Affairs is slated to get $12.1 million; direct financial assistance, $5.3 million; Head Start, $4 million; and Children and Family Services, $6.1 million.
All told, Human Services has 1,020 employees, 85 percent of whom are classified as “direct-service providers” and the remainder as administrative.
Noting the territory has a growing need for long-term care for seniors, Sen. Ronald Russell asked what is being done. Additional facilities will ultimately have to be built, Finch said, but the Herbert Grigg Home for the Aged on St. Croix should add 40 beds this fall, doubling its capacity.
“The more immediate plan is the renovation of existing wings of the Grigg Home,” Finch said. Right now, most of the renovations are complete, but the Frederiksted Clinic, closed for mold remediation work, is occupying part of the renovated wing, he said.
“The plan is to start hiring and open one wing even while the health center is occupying the other wing,” he said. “We wouldn’t have been able to open all 40 beds immediately anyway, so this works out well as a phased plan.”
Present were Russell, Sens. Sens. Terrence “Positive” Nelson, Liston A. Davis, Neville James, James Weber III and Juan Figueroa-Serville. Carlton “Ital” Dowe was absent. No votes were taken.
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