An unsung hero of the pandemic at CIS is our Benefits Team, who sprang into action when hundreds of participants were laid off with little to no notice when COVID hit. Since March 2020, they’ve done outstanding work connecting CIS participants with recovery resources, and helping them navigate complex guidelines around unemployment compensation and federal assistance programs for people with disabilities.  

The Team’s work with Greg is indicative of the deep care and fierce advocacy they bring to their work. Prior to the pandemic, Greg was working three different jobs. In its wake, he was laid off from two of those jobs, and took a leave of absence from the third due to health concerns.

In the chaos of that time, our Benefits Team reached out to Greg and his family. They helped them apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and walked them through how to correctly report Greg’s change of status to the Social Security Administration, bringing some much-needed calm and security in a scary time.

Now, Greg is back in his beloved jobs at a veterinary hospital and at Giant, and happy to be working again. Keep an eye out for more about Greg in an upcoming post—we join him in giving a big thumbs up to our amazing Benefits Team!

To learn more about individualized Benefits Counseling services, and how to make informed choices about work while receiving benefits, visit our Benefits page!