EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — Several pandemic-era safety net programs will be ending between now and through this Fall of 2023 and moving forward. This is likely going to create a challenge for many of the families St. Vincent de Paul serves. Areas of concern include childcare, Medicaid, food stamps, student loans, and health care costs.
Community members already experiencing difficulties from the experience of poverty may be impacted most by these challenges. Take those experiencing homelessness for example. While data from the National Alliance to End Homelessness shows that the number of citizens experiencing homelessness in St. Clair County, Illinois has been declining throughout the pandemic from approximately 2,278 community members in 2020 to 1,900 community members in 2022, analysts predict a turn for the worse in the months to come as families struggle to provide even the basics due to the ending of important social service funding that was a result of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA),8 passed in 202, during the height of the COVID 19 pandemic.
The Medicaid continuous enrollment provision, which has halted Medicaid disenrollments since March 2020, ended on March 31, 2023. Primarily due to the continuous enrollment provision, more than 93 million people were enrolled in Medicaid/CHIP in March 2023, the month before the unwinding period began, an increase of over 22 million from February 2020.
Illinois began disenrolling people from Medicaid in July 2023.
Nationwide, as many as 15 million people, or 17 percent of those enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, are expected to lose coverage in coming months, as states begin reevaluating who is eligible for the program.
Nationwide, children and young adults will be impacted disproportionately, with 5.3 million children and 4.7 million adults ages 18-34 predicted to lose Medicaid/CHIP coverage. Nearly one-third of those predicted to lose coverage are Latino (4.6 million) and 15 percent (2.2 million) are Black.
So, what can be done?
Volunteer and Donate
St. Vincent de Paul relies on their volunteers and donations now more than ever to not only keep their impactful programs running and to serve our local community, but to help them prepare for the fallout that is likely ahead due to decreased funding for social programs. Are you interested in volunteering but don’t know where to start? They would love to chat with you about how you can be a part of their amazing group of dedicated volunteers.
Visit: https://svdpsouthil.org/volunteer. And when you donate, you make a difference in the lives of real people in our community every single day. https://svdpsouthil.org/monetary-donations
Executive Director, Pat Hogrebe admits, “We are gearing up for one heck of a fall following the end of some of the programs and funding that help sustain our most vulnerable community members. We are praying for our community to join us to fight hunger, homelessness, and poverty.”
And St. Vincent de Paul’s most courageous supporter, Joe Hubbard remarks, “We are facing an unprecedented time because over the past two to three years people who need the most have gotten a little bit of relief. But now that relief is disappearing from underneath them. This is a travesty. Please help us help these folks.”
The Belleville Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is dedicated to helping the poor of Southern Illinois. Our members are committed to fighting hunger, homelessness, and poverty. The parish conferences and special works conference reach out to offer assistance with utilities, rent, food, clothing, automobile, gas, medical, prescriptions, and many other needs. We partner with other agencies, churches, and organizations and utilize community resources to help in the best way possible. Our faith guides our desire to serve.