New Grant Expands Benefits Navigation at Community Connections

If you are one of the cool kids driving around with one of the fun historic Colorado license plates, I want to express my sincere gratitude. Those historic plates—the plain black, blue, and red as well as the green mountain silhouette—fund the Colorado Disability Funding Committee (CDFC) under the Colorado Disability Opportunity Office.

In July, local nonprofit Community Connections was fortunate to receive a grant from the CDFC to provide support with applications to disability-related benefit programs, particularly Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Leading this beneficial program are the dynamic duo of Hannah Zorn and Heleny Zacamolpa, two members of the Community Connections’ case management team. Hannah, who is supervising the project, also serves as an Intake Case Manager and was honored as the 2025 case manager of the year by Alliance Colorado. In addition to her new role as the Disability Benefits Navigator, Heleny serves bilingual families in the Community Connections Family Support and Early Intervention programs. Both team members are passionate about supporting people with disabilities and their families to get connected to services for which they qualify.

Prior to the CDFC grant, our ability to assist with benefits applications was very limited. Occasionally we were able to help if a person was applying for long-term Medicaid and had no one else in their life to help.

However, what we have found is that almost everyone needs assistance with these applications, even if they have friends, family, or other professionals involved. Somehow, the benefits programs designed to support our most vulnerable community members are some of the most complicated forms ever created. And the stakes are high; having an application denied can mean months of delayed services during appeals. Or it can mean the loss of services and support altogether.

Now, our possibilities are endless—or at least our possibilities are about ten hours a week of dedicated benefits assistance to residents of Southwest Colorado with disabilities. Thus far, most of our opportunities have come from people applying for services at Community Connections. It has been hugely rewarding to be able to offer a smoother path through the financial eligibility piece of the process.

But the service isn’t just available for current or potential Community Connections participants. Anyone with a disability who needs assistance with benefits applications or appeals is eligible. While Heleny is already a whiz with Medicaid applications, she is also eager to assist with other applications, such as food stamps, energy assistance, and Social Security. She can provide support in both English and Spanish.

Currently, the grant runs through June 30, 2026, although we hope to be able to demonstrate the wonderful community impact of the program and secure the grant again in the future. So, keep buying historic Colorado plates, and call Community Connections if you need help with your benefits application! Email HZacamolpa@CommunityConnectionsCO.org or call Community Connections at 970-259-2464 and connect with the Disability Benefits Navigator.