Opportunities to connect to different resources can be limited for rural communities. With distance, availability, and just a general lack of support working against many nonurban areas, it is always refreshing when different entities invest in the welfare of the community by facilitating connections for those that may need it.
The Humboldt County Library offers virtual assistance with Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) through their Office in a Box program, every Wednesday from 1:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the library through the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.
“Living in a rural community, services can be hard to reach locally. The Humboldt County Library is dedicated to offering ease of access to services where we can. Office in a Box is a social service program that offers people looking to sign-up for, renew and update, or ask questions about Food Stamps, Medicaid, and other welfare programs 1-on-1 with a Division of Welfare and Supportive Services Specialist,” said Humboldt County Library Director, Jessica Anderson in an email.
The assistance is available through scheduled appointments or for walk-ins and the library provides private areas for the appointments, which generally take under an hour. Appointments can easily be scheduled by calling the library at 775-623-6388. Access to these services are also available through the Frontier Community Action Agency on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., located at 667 Anderson St.
“Appointments [at the library] are held in our soundproof telephone booths for privacy, but if more space is needed they can also be held in our Nevada Room behind a closed door,” said Anderson.
With the extra expenses of the holiday season, it may make all the difference for people to be able to take advantage of these social services. According to Anderson, the bilingual library staff can also assist Spanish speakers and “the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services has bilingual staff options as well.”
“Office in a Box has seen steady use, and while I don’t wish that it becomes more popular, I am thankful that we have the ability to make it available and we do want those that are in need of the program to be made aware of its availability,” she said.
The library strives to help people access many different resources and makes sure to provide a range of services, year round.
“We feel it is important to offer these services to our community as our main goal as a community library is to offer ease of access to resources and information, whether that be through access to the internet, information and recreation through books and audiovisual materials, online databases, microfiche and historical documents, and local resources and events. The library can help and offer the resources to improve our community through job skills and placement, welfare services, entertainment and recreation, education, programming, a community meeting space, and much more,” said Anderson.