- May 5, 2024
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A program whose funding from Flagler County was set to expire this year is asking for additional help so it can continue to connect local residents with to federal public assistance funds.
Flagler County's Mobile Benefits program has brought more than$1.8 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits to residents who qualify for assistance since the program was established in 2011.
The program, which was created through a partnership with Second Harvest of North Florida, has cost Flagler County $40,000 since its inception. It works by helping residents apply for federal benefits. The county pledged to support the program only for its first two years and is not slated to spend any more money on it.
But Bruce Granger, executive director of Second Harvest of North Florid, asked for an additional $40,000 at a July 1 meeting of the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners. The additional money would both continue to support the program and fund its expansion.
Granger said that when then Mobile Benefits program first started, Second Harvest identified about 3,300 households in Flagler that would be eligible for SNAP benefits. So far, more than 900 households have been reached through the program.
Continuing to fund the program would help it reach more of the qualified residents, Granger said. The $40,000 would in part fund a part-time assistant to Mobile Benefits Specialist Donna Mota, which would connect more people with benefits, Granger said.
The part-time assistant would broaden and deepen the program’s benefits, Granger said. He pointed to the $1.8 million return the county has seen on the $40,000 it has already spent, saying that continuing to fund the program would yield a strong return on investment.
Commissioners said they did not expect the request for additional money. When the commission entered its agreement with Second Harvest in 2011, there was an understanding that the county would fund $20,000 of the program cost yearly, for two years. Then, in 2013, Second Harvest was to take over costs.
Granger said he anticipates receiving grant money to continue the program, which costs just less than $50,000 per year as it stands now.
“But you’re asking for money to expand what you’re doing now,” Commissioner Barbara Revels said. “How much would it cost to keep things the way they are?”
Granger said he needs $27,000 to maintain the program as it stands today.
The commission agreed to discuss the matter and reach a decision about continuing to funding the Mobile Benefits program at a future budget meeting. The next County Commission budget workshop is scheduled for 9 a.m. on July 16.
