Michael Swayze's Community Resources

Category: Community Resources

  • Four Ways To Access the Health Insurance Marketplace

    There are four ways to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. They are:

    • Apply online. Visit HealthCare.gov to get started.
    • Apply by phone. Call 800-318-2596 to apply for a health insurance plan and enroll over the phone.
    • Apply in person. visit a trained counselor to get information and apply in person. Find out who can help at LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov.
    • Apply by mail. Complete a paper application and mail it in. You can download the paper application form and instructions from HealthCare.gov.

    The final deadline for enrollment for 2014 is March 30, 2014.

  • Apps For Veterans

    This being Veteran’s Day it seems only fitting and right to take time to thank all our veterans. The information below is my small way of giving tribute to the fine men and women who have served in our Armed Forces. The following are resources I found while surfing the Web.

    A number of smartphone apps have been developed for veterans. They include: 1) Position Report (POS REP) an application that connects veterans via GPS to an interactive social network. To download the app visit the POS REP website at http://pos-rep.com. (Source: September 9, 2013 article in military.com.) 2) Hiring Our Heroes. Featured last month in the U.S. Veterans magazine and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation webpage. 3) A White House blog article from 2012 details a number of “Apps for Heroes”. For details see the White House blog article and a link to VA Blue Button apps. 4) PTSD Coach. See National Center for PTSD for details. 5) Claims Coach, provided by the American Legion giving guidance through the process of filing for VA benefits.

    Military and Veterans Benefits Insider’s Guide, includes 2013 Veteran’s Day discounts and free meals for veterans and their families. MilitaryBenefits.info is a non-government website.

    Traditional websites for veterans are: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. A successful nonprofit serving a number of counties in New Jersey offering supportive and housing services for veterans is Community Hope, located in Parsippany. For more information call 855-483-8466. Other nonprofits offering outreach to New Jersey veterans and their families are Soldier On, 866-406-8449; and Volunteers of America Delaware Valley, 856-854-4660.

  • Sandy Homeowner and Renter Assistance Program

    Yesterday, Governor Christie announced the launch of the Sandy Homeowner and Renter Assistance Program (SHRAP), a temporary relief program to assist individuals and families experiencing a housing crisis resulting from Hurricane Sandy. Affected households could qualify for up to six months of payment vouchers (no more than $15,000 in total assistance) to cover select home appliances and current past due payments on rent, mortgages and/or utility bills. Payment vouchers will be offered only for subsidies, benefits, or services that have not been or will not be covered by FEMA, home insurance or other government grants and subsidies.

    To be eligible for the program, an individual or family unit must:

    • Have a financial distress directly related to housing which is a direct result of Superstorm Sandy;
    • Be a U.S. citizen or eligible alien;
    • Not currently be receiving Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) benefits or be eligible for WFNJ/SSI Emergency Assistance; and
    • Be legally or blood-related. (If two unrelated families/individuals are sharing a home/apartment, each can apply separately.)

    Other details are available by reading the official press release issued by the Governor’s office on October 22, 2013.

    The state Department of Human Services has provided a list of SHRAP providers on their website. Applicants for SHRAP may apply in the county in which they are currently residing. For additional Sandy relief information visit http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dfd/programs/shrap/.