The hours are from 8 am to 4 pm Monday through Friday. All interviews and applications are by appointment only. Monday evening and Saturday morning appointments are available for those residents who work out of town. Home visits are available for the elderly homebound. Some functions of the department are:
Community Council of Bethel: Although the town no longer provides direct financial assistance or payment of medical bills, this organization is a private charitable fund that assists Bethel residents in temporary financial trouble. Payments are made directly to vendors for a variety of purposes. These include rent, utility payments, urgent home or car repairs, work supplies and prescription drugs. Residents may access these funds once a year. Any member of the community who would like to make a donation to this fund can mail it to PO Box 667, Bethel CT 06801, or may bring it to my office.
Winter Heating Assistance: Applications for oil heating customers are make through the office in October and November. Applications for utility heating customers are made in January through March. The income guidelines change each year and are published in September.
Food Pantry: Those who are in immediate need of food or toiletry items can access our food pantry once a month. The pantry is always in need of donations of items that cannot be purchased with food stamps, such as diapers, personal hygiene items and paper goods.
Back to School Program: Families who need help with purchasing school-approved required supplies can contact the office in August. Some assistance is also available for backpacks and sneakers.
Holiday Giving Program: Families can receive food deliveries for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The department also arranges for an “adopt a family/senior citizen” gift giving program. The deadline for applying for these programs is November 1. Any organization or faith community, which would like to purchase gifts for a needy Bethel family, is invited to contact this office.
Elderly Benefits: The department disseminates information pertinent to our elderly population for federal, state and local benefits, and assisting them in applying for these benefits. Health insurance counseling is also available for individuals on Medicare.
Other programs are available through the State of Connecticut and the Social Security Administration. Please refer to their websites below.
Connecticut Department of Social Services
Americares offers free health clinics