FRESH START SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY

SOCIAL SERVICES PROVIDED

THE FOLLOWING SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY FRESH START TO OUR CLIENTS:

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY INCOME (SSDI). We help and assist Clients to obtain SSDI disability pension and compensation. At the outset and beginning of the process, we play an integral part of the process until we find you a reputable Legal or Attorney Representative to take over, wrap up, and close the case, hopefully with a favorable and successful approval for the Client.

SOCIAL SECURITY SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI). We help and assist Clients to obtain SSI disability pension and compensation. At the outset and beginning, we play an integral part of the process until we find you a reputable Legal or Attorney Representative to take over, wrap up, and close the case, hopefully with a favorable and successful approval for the Client.

VETERAN'S ADMINISTRATION (VA) DISABILITY. We guide clients in the right direction relevant to providing information as to how to get started, what documents are required, and what Veteran's Service Office (VSO) might be able to help. We also recommend Legal Representation or a VSO Organization who might be able to help the Veteran throughout the process.

SOCIAL SECURITY WIDOW'S SURVIVOR'S BENEFITS. We help and assist the widow of the deceased husband or wife from start to finish. We will also refer a Legal Representative or Attorney if needed.

VETERAN'S ADMINISTRATION WIDOW'S SURVIVOR'S BENEFITS. We will help and guide the Client in the right direction providing information, initially, as to how to get started, what initial documents are required, and what, if any VSO can help. We will also recommend and/or refer the Client to reputable Legal Representation or a VSO Organization who might be able to help the Widow/Widower throught the process.

VETERAN'S REFERRAL AND CONSULTATION. Are you a Veteran whose experiencing hardship or is disabled and you need guidance and direction? Are you a Veteran who was honorably discharged or discharged and are in dire straits and don't know which way to turn? Or maybe you are a discharged Veteran who just needs to know what benefits you are eligible for. We can help. Our Founder and Executive Director, Mr. Coston, is a 20 Year Naval Veteran, Disabled Veteran, and Retiree and he understands and "turns to" when a Vet calls. And if we can't help, we WILL find out who can help and who to refer you to. And if you need a copy of your DD-214, we can order it online for you, directly here at FRESH START. And one more thing.......THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!

ELDERLY SERVICES. Elderly and alone and need help and assistance such as SS Retirement Benefits, Home Nurse or CNA, free items to help with your disabilities such as crutches/bed pans/canes, etc.? Or maybe you just need someone to talk to or counseling with legal or other issues that you are unsure of. Just call us, and if we are unable to help or cater to your needs, we will try and refer you to an agency or organization in the local area that can.

FOOD BANK AND/OR FOOD BANK REFERRAL. FRESH START does not, at present have an in-house Food Bank; however we work with the MANATEE FOOD BANK, one on one, to provide generous emergency food boxes to individuals and families (Manatee Food Bank is only for Manatee County residents); the only caveat is when you are helped, you must wait one year if you must request another emergency food box. Food boxes from the Manatee County food bank are picked up and delivered to Clients by FRESH START. In the meantime, if the need again exists or persists whereby Clients need more food, FRESH START maintains names of Churches, and other organizations, who give out food on a daily, weekly, and/or monthly basis or other type schedule as they delineate. For Sarasota County residents, you must contact an Agency in Sarasota County that is affiliated with ALL FAITHS FOOD BANK...All Faith's Food Bank's number is: 941-379-6333 to find out what Agency's in Sarasota County are affiliated with them. Or, you can call UNITED WAY 211 and hey will refer you to the appropriate Agencies affiliated with All Faith's Food Bank. Just call us and query regarding food assistance and food banks.

FOOD STAMPS. Need Food Stamps? Have questions regarding the acquisition of Food Stamps? Were your Food Stamps cut off and you need guidance, direction, and phone numbers? The best way to solve any problems with your food stamps outside of first time or initial applying, is to physically go to the Food Stamp Office. In Manatee County the Food Stamp Office is at: 2106 East Manatee Avenue, Bradenton, Florida 34208, telephone: 1-866-762-2237; in Sarasota County the Food Stamp Office is at: 1864 17th Street, Sarasota, Florida 34234, telephone: 1-866-762-2237. FRESH START can assist you, in general, with the application process; but we strongly urge and recommend, unless you do not have transportation or money, to physically visit the nearest Food Stamp Office in your area. For cities and towns out of the local area, when you contact us, please let us know that you are not in the Manatee or Sarasota County area, and we will be better able to help you.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE REFERRAL FOR TREATMENT, REHABILITATION OR 12 STEP. Fresh Start does not have, as of yet, the facilities or resources to field drug or alcohol abuse treatment, rehabilitation, or 12 step service or intervention; however, there are numerous agenices within the local area that provides these type of services. If you need or request drug, alcohol, or other substance abuse treatment, or 12 step service, we will refer you to these agencies. We will extract a listing from our database and from online, review them for you, and recommend the Agencies that fit your request or requirement incuding income/funds payment ability and compatibility (some Agencies will put the Client on a sliding scale if they are working or even if they have no income to determine how much the Client will have to pay or whether the Client is able to pay).

COUNSELING AND CONSULTATION COUNSELING. Need someone to talk to? Just need someone to listen to what you have to say? Don't know where to turn? Don't know where to turn to? Need someone to just talk to or unload on? Feel like you might harm yourself? Suicidal? Feel like you don't need to be around people right now for whatever reason? Well, we're here to listen, give you recommendations, give you possible referrals, or even refer you to professional help; maybe you feel like you need a 12 Step intervention, rehabilitation, or some type of treatment. Feel you need, or want to go to a Behavioral Clinic or Center? After intake, counseling and assessment, we will recommend to you, based on what you've said and told us, the best place for you to go; or, as aforementioned, you just need someone who will lend you their ear, listen attentively, and only answer or ask questions when you're ready.

ATTORNEY/LAWYER REFERRAL & AQUISITION. You might need a Lawyer/Attorney to represent you for SSDI, SSI, Widow's Survivor's benefits, accident & injury, lawsuits, etc. We can help you with the information and referral service needed or required by you to help with your legal situation.

EDUCATION. We help to guide you, and provide you with information relative to obtaining your GED, applying to attend college, tuition assistance, and any other information or guidance relative to obtaining your High School Diploma or Degree.

ADMIN/CLERICAL ASSISTANCE. Not all of us know how to type, are computer literate, or even have the funds, income or job to help type a professional resume, memorandum, letter, or any other correspondence that you might need. We can help and assist you, at no cost but time permitting, with your administrative and clerical needs; this service is only for those who are totally uneducated in this type area, and/or are indigent, homeless, destitute, etc. We will assess the need to provide this service in house on a case by case basis.

JOB/EMPLOYMENT ACQUISITION. We provide information and referral resource relative to job stop centers that can help you find a job, prepare a professional resume, contact employers, etc. We will also provide this service, in house, to Clients who are totally indigent, homeless, destitute, etc., and have no transportation or other means to travel to job stop centers. We will assess the need to provide this service in house on a case by case basis.

INFORMATION AND REFERRAL RESOURCES. If there is a service or resource that we don't have or cannot provide to you, we will refer you to another agency, entity or resource in the local area, or even outside of the local area that might be able to help or that can help. In addition, you might be calling us for information on a certain type of service or local social service at another agency; we also have the database to provide this information as well.

FRESH START SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY is a non-profit, tax exempt, social service agency providing social services to all who are in need which includes those who are homeless, needy, underprivileged, disadvantaged, indigent, disabled, elderly, and anyone else who has a social need and through intake upon asking Fresh Start for help, we determine that the Client does in fact meet our requirements to be provided our social services.