The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS), Bureau for Family Assistance (BFA) and Coalfield Development Corporation have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) for their innovative partnership through BFA’s voluntary
SNAP Employment & Training (SNAP E&T) program available to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants.
As part of its new More Than a Job campaign to promote SNAP E&T nationwide, the federal agency has released a video highlighting this uniquely West Virginian partnership. The video is designed to serve as a model for other states in how to effectively structure their own SNAP E&T programs.
While all states are federally required to operate SNAP E&T programs, states like West Virginia only receive a small amount of federal funding for this purpose. West Virginia, like most other states, operates the program on a voluntary basis to more effectively help SNAP recipients develop skills that lead to better long-term employment opportunities and decrease reliance on the federal benefits that SNAP provides.
“We first partnered with Coalfield in 2020 as part of our efforts to make our voluntary SNAP E&T program the best in the nation. This collaboration has been wonderful for the clients we share with them,” said Janie Cole, DoHS Bureau for Family Assistance Commissioner. “The new video from USDA really is a powerful testament to what Coalfield does for SNAP recipients who volunteer to participate in the E&T program. We hope to continue this wonderful partnership, as well as our other excellent partnerships with Goodwill, WV Women Work, and Blenko Glass.”
Like the partnership with Coalfield, DoHS’s partnership with Blenko Glass also serves as a model for other states. The partnership, which started in November 2023, is one of only a few SNAP E&T partnerships with a for-profit business nationwide.
SNAP/SNAP E&T clients who are interested in job opportunities should speak with their DoHS county office caseworker. Organizations interested in partnering with DoHS to serve SNAP E&T clients are encouraged to contact BFA by visiting
dhhr.wv.gov/bfa/contact/Pages/default.aspx.