Low-Income Resources in Wisconsin
Welcome to Money Fit’s Low-income resource list. There are different options organized into four categories: Food, Housing/Utilities, Child/Family Care, and Healthcare. Each resource has a brief description as well as contact information like a phone number and website URL.
We also provided an application for our Debt Management Program. If you’re struggling with debt, our nonprofit organization can provide the help you need to overcome financial burdens.
Use the following resources to determine if you qualify to receive financial assistance from a variety of programs.
How You Can Benefit From a Debt Management Program
While many consumers define debt management differently, we can all agree that getting out of excessive consumer debt leads to greater stability, less stress, and improved chances for long-term financial success.
Debt relief, debt counseling, debt consolidation, debt negotiations, debt elimination, and debt management all seem to mean the same thing: get rid of debt. However, they can vary widely in their meaning and method. Often, unscrupulous online actors identify themselves by one term but lead their unsuspecting clients down a completely different, and often financially disastrous, path.
If you are looking for a program that helps you repay 100% of your debts at more favorable terms, then look no further than Money Fit’s Debt Management Program.
Food Resources
Foodshare Wisconsin
Each month, people across Wisconsin get help from FoodShare. They are people of all ages who have a job but have low incomes, are living on a small or fixed income, have lost their job, and are retired or disabled and not able to work.
Address: N/A
Phone: 608.266.1865
Website: www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/foodshare/index.htm
Federal Resource – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
SNAP provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency.
Housing and Utilities
Wisconsin Home Heating Assistance Programs
The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) is a federally-funded program that helps eligible households pay a portion of their home heating costs.
Address:
Home Energy +
PO Box 7868
Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7868
Phone: 608.267.3680
Website: www.homeenergyplus.wi.gov
Home Weatherization
Home Weatherization makes energy-saving measures available to those households faced with limited financial resources and a challenging energy burden. The program funds specific improvements in the home or rental unit that will reduce energy consumption and lower a qualifying household’s energy bills.
Address:
Weatherization Services
3252 N 81st Street
Milwaukee, WI 53222-3812
Phone: 414.873.4945
Website: weatherizationservices-wi.com/
federal resource – Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps keep families safe and healthy through initiatives that assist families with energy costs.
Child and Family Care
Wisconsin Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
The purpose of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is to promote and maintain the health and well-being of nutritionally at-risk pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children.
Address:
Wisconsin WIC Program
PO Box 2659
Madison, WI 53701-2659
Phone: 800-722-2295
Website: www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/wic/index.htm
Federal Resource – Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
WIC is a federally funded nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children that helps families by providing financial assistance to purchase healthy supplemental foods from WIC-authorized vendors.
WIC also provides nutrition education, breastfeeding information, and support as well as assists in finding healthcare and other community services.
Federal Resource – The Head Start Program
Head Start programs support children’s growth and development in a positive learning environment through a variety of services, which include
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Early learning: Children’s readiness for school and beyond is fostered through individualized learning experiences. Through relationships with adults, play, and planned and spontaneous instruction, children grow in many aspects of development. Children progress in social skills and emotional well-being, along with language and literacy learning, and concept development
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Health: Each child’s perceptual, motor, and physical development is supported to permit them to fully explore and function in their environment. All children receive health and development screenings, nutritious meals, oral health, and mental health support. Programs connect families with medical, dental, and mental health services to ensure that children are receiving the services they need.
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Family well-being: Parents and families are supported in achieving their own goals, such as housing stability, continued education, and financial security. Programs support and strengthen parent-child relationships and engage families around children’s learning and development.
Federal Resource – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides grant funds to states and territories to provide families with financial assistance and related support services. State-administered programs may include childcare assistance, job preparation, and work assistance.
Healthcare Resources
Wisconsin Department Of Health Services (DHS)
DHS oversees Medicaid, the single largest program in the state budget, and other health and social service programs. DHS ensures that the care provided to Wisconsin residents is high quality and provided in accordance with state and federal law; ensures that Wisconsin taxpayer dollars are being used effectively and efficiently by preventing and detecting waste, fraud, and abuse; and works to continue Wisconsin’s long tradition of strong health outcomes and innovation.
Address:
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
1 Wilson St.
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608.266.1865
Website: www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/
Federal Resource – Medicaid
Authorized by Title XIX of the Social Security Act, Medicaid was signed into law in 1965 alongside Medicare. All states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories have Medicaid programs designed to provide health coverage for low-income people. Although the Federal government establishes certain parameters for all states to follow, each state administers its Medicaid program differently, resulting in variations in Medicaid coverage across the country.