Accessing the Safety Net

Every refugee family that arrives in Gainesville enters with legal status—and with it, the right to access critical public benefits designed to help them stabilize during their first months in the United States. But eligibility doesn’t equal access. That is the role of resettlement agencies like GGIC: guiding families through the complex web of state and federal benefit systems.

Within one week of arrival, each family applies for Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) support. These benefits ensure access to medical care, food, and basic income support during a time of profound transition, with GGIC staff and volunteers providing interpretation, transportation, and follow-up support.

When families receive approval notices in their mail, there is a visible shift. Anxiety eases. The burden of financial uncertainty lightens, and a path towards self-sufficiency becomes attainable.

When the System Fails

Even with lawful status and clear eligibility, some refugee families are wrongly denied the public benefits they desperately need. A misplaced document, a misclassified immigration code, or a misunderstanding at the local level can trigger a denial of Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, or WIC—services refugees are entitled to under federal law. These denials can be devastating.

When this happens, refugees need the help of refugee resettlement agencies to correct the issues as advocates. Cases are immediately referred to Florida’s State Refugee Coordinator (SRC), the first point of escalation in the effort to resolve errors quickly and fairly. When resolution isn’t possible through the SRC, the case enters a formal appeals process that can last for months, with GGIC staff and refugee families gathering evidence, submitting affidavits, attending hearings, and navigating bureaucracies.

GGIC nos prestó especial soporte en los procesos con el departamento de niños y familias y por eso tuvimos acceso a beneficios que nos ayudaron a soportar la carga que implica empezar desde cero en un nuevo país, como por ejemplo recibir asistencia de alimentos y en efectivo, además de ayudar a tramitar un documento de autorización de empleo mientras esperamos por los permisos de trabajo, esto nos ayudó muchísimo esos días iniciales posteriores a nuestra llegada, fue como recibir bendiciones, siempre estaremos agradecidos.

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GGIC devoted special attention to the processes with the Department of Children and Families and therefore we gained access to benefits which helped lighten the load of starting life from zero in a new country—receiving food assistance and cash assistance, processing employment authorization documents while we awaited for the cards to arrive. This helped us immensely in the initial days after our arrival; it was like receiving a blessing.We will always be grateful.