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An Alabama program, designed to help SNAP recipients meet their work requirements, is doing much more than that.
The program is called A-Reset. It’s short for Alabama Resources for Enrichment Self-sufficiency Employability and Training. It helps SNAP recipients meet those work requirements by gaining skills, training, and work experience.
“It really is a big benefit to individuals and parents that seem to be having a hard time getting their feet under them headed that direction,” said Justin Helton, Workforce Development and Education Director for Family Services of North Alabama, which offers the program. “The A-Reset program really thrives and just giving that little extra financial support and sometimes career guidance.”
Among the possibilities for participants – classes for GED and English as a second language. There’s also training for those who want to get a commercial driver’s license or gain valuable experience in several career fields, like HVAC, medical billing and coding and pharmacy tech.
For able-bodied men and women without dependents, the new SNAP requirements include 20 hours a week, 80 hours a month working or training.
“One of the ways you can meet those required hours of either education or supervised job search is by working with one of our coordinators or program facilitators,” said Helton. “And that could be covered doing things like resume building. That could be done through training for interview etiquette classes, all the way to anger management courses.”
The program’s fully funded by the state, so it doesn’t cost anything for qualified men and women to join. Helton says the program, just a few years old, has been more like a secret up until now, but he’s hoping more people are interested and willing to research where they can get more information.
“I would encourage them to reach out their family resource center, reach out to their local non-profit that works with workforce development and just see, see the services that are available,” said Helton.
Family Services of North Alabama helps residents in Marshall, DeKalb, and Jackson counties, but there are at least 25 non-profits linked with workforce development who offer A-Reset in most of the counties in North Alabama.
Family Services of North Alabama offers the state-funded A-Reset program to help SNAP recipients meet their work requirements and gain skills for their careers.