AskDonna - What's Up?

   What's up?
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"Ask Donna" by Donna Sanchez

Currently there are many things changing locally as well as at the state and national levels. Whenever change occurs it becomes a breeding ground for misinformation. I have tried to carefully gather information that will be a resource on where to get more information on a variety of topics. There are several questions I will be addressing this time and hope that if you need more information you will call the contact number that I list for each question.

Word of mouth is a wonderful way to disseminate information but that has to be supplemented with a bit of personal responsibility to actual talk to the group or individual providing the service or project to make sure you get the correct information. I’m sure most of you remember playing the “gossip” game when you were younger. The first person whispers something in the next persons ear, then that person whispers the same thing into the next persons ear and so on. By the end of the game the original message is anything but what it started out to be. So I encourage you, with all the recent issues that you hear about and read about try and confirm the information before you take a firm stand either for or against. Misinformation can cause catastrophic damage to projects so pick up the phone and get the whole story.

What’s up with utility assistance now that Community Action has closed their doors in T or C?

Community Action Agency has had to close many of their field offices in Southern NM. Although at this point they are no longer able to do utility or rental assistance, they are still present in the community through other programs such as commodity distribution, local food pantry support and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. When more funding becomes available for Sierra County the CAA staff will meet with local groups such as the Sierra County Services Coalition/Community United for Quality Living and determine how the available funding can best be used.

Community Action Agency’s mission is to work with people with limited resources in Southern NM to enhance their independence and quality of life. To get more information on what Community Action Agency does you can contact them at their Las Cruces office at (575)527-8799. There are two means of getting energy assistance in Sierra County that I know about at this time. One is the LiHeap Program (Lighting and Heating Energy Assistance Program) which you can receive more information about by calling the local Income Support Office at 894-3011. The Good Neighbor Program, which is sponsored by PNM, is administered by our local Salvation Army. This projected is supported by donations you make on your gas bill. That money is then put into an account for Sierra County through the Salvation Army. For eligibility requirements or to more info on how to donate to this fund contact PNM.

Are they still signing people up for the state insurance pilot program?

The State Coverage Insurance (SCI) is a cost sharing health plan similar to a basic commercial health insurance plan that individuals or small businesses (under 50 employees) can join. Some of the qualifications are:

  • Individual or employee, 19-64 years old
  • Household income less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level
  • No current health insurance coverage
  • Not eligible for insurance such as Medicare, Medicaid, CHAMPUS, etc
You must chose one of the following SCI plans before your application is submitted to your local Income Support Office.

Lovelace SCI 1 (800) 808-7383
Molina Healthcare 1 (866) 403-3018
Presbyterian Health Plan 1 (866) 606-7737

Each plan varies and the SCI program has a capacity of 10,000 members. For more information call the toll free numbers listed above or for basic information you may call me at 894-5080.

Why are their two transportation projects?

There has been some recent confusion around funding for the 5311 Public Transit Grant and the Regional Transit District Project. A brief explanation is: the 5311 Public Transit Grant would fund a local public transportation van that would run within Sierra County for local usage for a fee. It would have set days and hours of operation and would have set “bus stops” and also a curb to curb component that you can call for rides within certain guidelines. The Regional Transit District is a totally different concept.

The RTD would be a group of existing transit services that would collaborate to connect services between counties. An example would be: if residents in Sierra County wanted to attend the college in Silver City the two services would collaborate to perhaps met in Hillsboro to transfer riders. The RTD is a means to enhance the local transit services in our rural area to meet more needs of residents. These are two totally separate projects.

The State of NM is also looking at for the first time ever to assist systems by helping meet the cash match required by the federal funding sources. NM is one of the few states that has no transportation money set aside for public transportation. The key to these programs is to begin our local service. We have secured a grant to begin the public transportation van service but lack some of the matching funds to begin at this time. If you would like to find out how to help get this project started contact me at (575) 894-5080.

(Dec '05)


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