New online tool helps Coloradans quickly determine which public benefits they might be eligible for

A woman who called 211 Colorado last month said she had already applied for help through two food assistance programs and inquired about other public benefits she could qualify for.

“She was a single mom who was pregnant and needed financial assistance for her baby,” said Abigail Jimenez, the 211 operator at Mile High United Way who answered the woman’s call.

Jimenez told the mother about MyFriendBen, a new online tool that could help her find other social services she may be eligible for.

The new tool, recently launched by Gary Community Ventures, a nonprofit philanthropy group, aims to ensure Coloradans in need can better access some of the most basic necessities such as food and heat through existing public benefits programs.

The idea is to help people determine what they might be eligible for in about 6 minutes on average, Gary Community Ventures leaders said. 

The tool, which appears to be the first of its kind in Colorado, streamlines the navigation process for human services workers by helping them guide people through screening questions on the MyFriendBen site instead of a time-consuming search through a cumbersome database, Jimenez said.

“The main intent is to increase access to the social safety net because people are eligible for benefits but are not getting what they’re eligible for and what’s already publicly funded,” said  Elise Henson, executive director for MyFriendBen at Gary Community Ventures.