FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rita Yoon (323) 644-3880 ext. 273 APHCV Educates the Community on the Benefits of Food Stamps LOS ANGELES - Educating people who are potentially eligible for food stamps is the goal of the Asian and Pacific Islander Community Outreach and Partnership for Access (API-COPA) project, a much-needed service provided by Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. (APHCV), a non-profit community health center in Los Angeles. "This project is the first of its kind," says Jocelyn Medina, API-COPA Project Coordinator. "We are fortunate to have the opportunity to help people apply for food stamps right here at our agency." Prior to this project, the Cambodian, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese communities have faced numerous barriers in accessing the Food Stamps Program (FSP) and other social services, including: 1) Lack of awareness of available public benefit programs and their possible eligibility. 2) Stigma about FSP and a misconception that FSP is a "welfare" program. 3) Lack of linguistically and culturally appropriate services to help Asians and Pacific Islanders (APIs) in accessing services. These barriers have hindered eligible API persons from participating in the Food Stamps Program in the past. Through community outreach, community education, mass media education, prescreening via the web, and direct assistance in filling out the application, API communities are able to learn about Food Stamp benefits, eligibility, and the application process. APHCV was one of only two organizations in the western United States to receive this "Research Grant to improve FSP Access through Partnership and New Technology" along with the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank. Food and Nutrition Services received a total of 108 proposals from states, nonprofit groups, and other organizations, and 14 grants were awarded throughout the country. Launched in January 2001, API-COPA is a collaboration with Korean Health, Education, Information, and Research Center (KHEIR) and Chinatown Service Center (CSC) to target low income, limited English Proficiency (LEP) API families in Los Angeles County. API-COPA facilitates the FSP enrollment process by eliminating a trip to the Los Angeles County's Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) district office. API clients have complained in the past about difficulties in finding which DPSS office to go to and long wait times only to end up with an eligibility worker who does not speak their language. "Through API-COPA, our outreach workers assist cients in filling out the application, clearly stating the applicant's native language on the application, and whether or not they are monolingual," said Medina. "This ensures that when it is time for their interview and fingerprinting visit at the office, an Eligibility Worker who speaks the same language will be assigned to their case. This is welcome relief to a population already intimidated by Public Benefits programs," she said.