Food Voucher Distribution and Client Eligibility

Any one-year resident of Riverside County’s Coachella Valley with an annual income of less than $17,680 (170% of the National Poverty Level for an individual) and has been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS is qualified to receive AIDS Assistance Program food vouchers. Dependent children are also eligible for dollar amounts equal to those received by their parents.

Currently, the AIDS Assistance Program distributes food vouchers — redeemable at local area Stater Brothers Supermarkets — to more than 500 clients at a cost in excess of $50,000.00 per month.

Guidelines for New or Returning Applicants to the AIDS Assistance Program
The AIDS Assistance Program is a non-profit organization that distributes food vouchers twice monthly to men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS. These individuals must live within the Greater Coachella Valley and meet the following criteria. All required documents must be kept in your file to adhere to government regulations for annual reporting and continued funding. Failure to do so could jeopardize our granting status and your voucher program eligibility.

If you qualify and would like to apply you must make an appointment. Please call the office (760-325-8481) and set up an appointment. Applicants will not be accepted on voucher distribution days (1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month).

Application does not guarantee acceptance or immediate enrollment in the program. There are quotas set, which are based on available funding and budgetary restraints. A waiting list is maintained in the office as needed and is on a first come, first serve basis. As individuals fall from active participation, individuals on the waiting list will be notified by letter at the address we have on file allowing them 10 days to respond by phone of their interest in the opening. If you move it is your responsibility to notify our office of the change. If the letter does not arrive within the allotted time and you fail to notify our office the spot on the program will be offered to someone else. If you call after the deadline you will be placed back on the waiting list after your new address is verified. You must have all of the information listed below before you apply. Faxes from other agencies, doctors or your Desert AIDS Project Caseworker are not acceptable (unless preauthorized by someone at the AIDS Assistance Program). To qualify for the AIDS Assistance Program, you must:

• Have lived in the valley for 1 year before applying. You may not apply until you have resided in the Valley a full year. Only residents of the following cities qualify for the program: N. Palm Springs, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indio, North Indio, La Quinta, Indian Wells, Thousand Palms, Desert Hot Springs, Mecca, Coachella, Yucca Valley, Morongo Valley and Landers.
• Show proof of 1-year residency. P.O. boxes do not qualify as proof of residency. New applicants must supply 12 months of utility bills or bank statements or some sort of proof of continued residency (a bill or bank statement from each of the 4 preceding quarters). They need not all be your current address but must demonstrate 12 months of consecutive residency in the covered valley cities.
• Show proof of income. Income at or below $17,680.00 gross qualifies you for the program. Most recent income tax filing is preferred or a Social Security Benefits update letter, 12 months of bank statements, year-to-date check stub from your employer if you are working, and/or a Long Term Disability Statement, as applicable.
• Show proof of HIV/AIDS diagnosis in the form of a letter from your doctor. Prescription pad notes and lab reports are not acceptable.
  Show a valid Photo ID (driver's license, passport, etc.).
  Fill out an agency application in person when applying.
  Sign a yearly medical record/ financial release form when applying.

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Guidelines for Active AAP Clients
ELIGIBILITY & PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES FOR ALL ACTIVE AAP CLIENTS
Nature of the Program: AAP is not an entitlement program, however, while less than 20% of all funds available come from governmental sources, the AAP is required to verify and report on the eligibility of our clients.
Eligibility: You are eligible for the program only if your have a confirmed diagnosis of HIV/AIDS from your doctor, can verify that you make less than $17,680.00 annually ($1,473.33 per month) from all sources to provide for your basic living expenses and have resided in the desert community for one year before application.
Voucher Distribution: Vouchers are distributed at the offices of the AAP only from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM and ONLY on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday’s of every month. (Calendars are provided, but it is up to you to remember the dates, mark your calendars and come into the office during those times). A valid photo ID and your signature are required each time you pick up your vouchers.

Mailing Vouchers: If you are unable to pick up your vouchers in person, they can be mailed to you if you call in and make arrangements with the staff. You can call and leave a message with your address the day before voucher distribution, the day of distribution, and until Noon on the Wednesday following distribution. Vouchers will be mailed only to the local address on file, and then only 6 times during the year, unless there are extraordinary special circumstances, which are verified and approved by the staff.
Authorizing Someone to Pick Up Vouchers: If you are unable to pick up your vouchers in person, you may authorize someone else in writing (giving them a note) to pick up your vouchers and deliver them to you. You may authorize another person to pick up your Vouchers only 6 times during the year, unless there are extraordinary special circumstances, which are verified and approved by the staff. If approved a permanent note is put in your file and that person can always pick up your vouchers unless you notify our office otherwise.

Not Allowed to Pick Up Vouchers: If you are in the hospital or out of town for extended periods of time on vacation, dealing with personal issues or family matters, we will assume that you are receiving proper nutrition there and vouchers will not be available . You may call the office and have your vouchers put on voluntary hold for up to six months so that when you return you will be placed at the top of the waiting list as opposed to the bottom. If you fail to notify the office and/or miss 4 consecutive voucher distributions you will be placed on inactive status and placed at the bottom of the waiting list when you ask to be reconsidered for the program.

Recertification & Surveys: All clients are asked to recertify on an annual basis and complete one informational survey in order to recertify your eligibility. Clients are generally given a minimum of 3 weeks to comply with these requests and failure to return surveys or recertify by the deadlines will suspend your eligibility until you have completed the necessary paperwork. You will then be placed on the waiting list and allowed reentry as space becomes available.

Disqualification: If you fail to report changes in your financial circumstances and/or fail to report any sources of support that exceed the eligibility requirements of the program or relocate to an area other then that we serve, you will be permanently disqualified and shall be liable for reimbursement of all benefits received during the period you were ineligible. It is to your advantage to keep us informed and should you return to work, you can place yourself on a 6 month work leave to secure your position should you need to reapply.

Your Cooperation is Needed: Demand for our services continues to increase and there is almost always a waiting list of eligible individuals. Tighter reporting, enforcement of eligibility guidelines, and additional restrictions on the program necessitate that you make every effort to cooperate with requirements of the program. If you have any questions or issues please call the office and discuss them with the staff.
Thank you.

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Food Voucher Distribution Dates
Distribution Hours are 9:30 AM to 12 Noon
(Distributions are always the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of the month)
Clients have until 12 Noon the Wednesday following to request mail outs.