BDT announces partnership with The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation

Philadelphia, November 18, 2013 – Benefits Data Trust (BDT) is excited to announce a new partnership with The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. The Weinberg Foundation has provided BDT with a 3-year grant to outreach to and assist low-income seniors throughout the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland access state and federal benefits. The Weinberg Foundation will join with funders such as The Pennsylvania Department of Aging, the Maryland Department of Human Resources, the United States Department of Agriculture, The AARP Foundation, and many others to create comprehensive multi-benefits access centers for seniors in both states.

The PA Benefits Center and the MD Benefits Center are the first non-profit statewide comprehensive benefits outreach and application assistance centers in the nation. The centers will help seniors access federal and state benefits such as: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps), the Low-Income Home Energy Program, state prescription assistance and property tax and rent rebate programs, and others. Because all outreach and application assistance is done via phone and mail, the PA Benefits Center and the MD Benefits Center will reduce the barriers to enrollment in safety net programs experienced by many low-income seniors.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Weinberg Foundation to assist seniors in need.” said Executive Director of Benefits Data Trust, Ginger Zielinskie, “Both of our organizations embrace the understanding that by helping seniors access multiple benefits from their homes we are working to make benefits access simple, comprehensive, and cost-effective.”

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, headquartered in Owings Mills, Maryland, is one of the largest private foundations in the United States. The Foundation’s mission is to assist low-income and vulnerable individuals and families through nonprofit grants to direct-service providers and programs.

Benefits Data Trust is committed to transforming how individuals in need access public benefits. Since its inception in 2005, BDT has submitted over 345,000 applications on behalf of low-income individuals and families and has assisted them in accessing approximately $979 million in benefit dollars.

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About Benefits Data Trust

Benefits Data Trust (BDT) is a national nonprofit that helps people live healthier, more independent lives by creating smarter ways to access essential benefits and services. Each year, BDT helps tens of thousands of people receive critical supports using data, technology, targeted outreach, and policy change. Since inception in 2005, BDT has submitted over 800,000 applications – more than any other single entity in the country – securing over $7 billion in benefits and services. BDT employs more than 170 people and provides enrollment assistance to individuals in six states, and policy assistance to states nationwide. For more information, visit bdtrust.org.