Congregation Connections – Access of West Michigan

UPDATE: Congregation Connections

Congregation Connections is currently on pause as Access of West Michigan evaluates the future of the program.

Our Mission And Vision

Our mission is to train, assist, and collaborate with faith-based communities on issues of social justice, equity, community development, and anti-racism.

We envision a thriving network of faith communities rooted in social justice, equity, and anti-racism. These communities will act as centers of relationship and connection with their neighbors.

Congregation Casework

Congregation Connections is currently on pause.

Access of West Michigan has temporarily paused Congregation Connections as we evaluate our organizational capacity and the future of the program.

During this pause, Access is not accepting new assistance requests or providing casework or verification services.

We understand that this change impacts our congregational partners and the neighbors they serve. We are working directly with participating congregations to communicate updates, address remaining account balances, and discuss next steps.

We are deeply grateful for the trust, generosity, and commitment of the congregations that have made this work possible. Our hope is to continue cultivating meaningful partnerships as we determine what the future of Congregation Connections may look like.

Need emergency support?

Use 211’s online search platform or call 2-1-1 to learn about programs and resources that
exist in your neighborhood. Search online, or give them a call and
input your zip code to find information on local community resources.

Michigan 211

View other helpful links here:

Links-for-Congregation-Connections-1-2.pdf (1)Download

Frequently Asked Questions

Congregation Casework is available to congregations that have an active Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Access of West Michigan. There is a cost associated with participating in the Congregation Connections program, which supports the staff time, systems, coordination, recordkeeping, and financial administration required to provide these services.

Through an MOU, congregations can access case verification and/or fund disbursement services, depending on the needs of their congregation.

If your congregation would like to use Access for case verification or have Access process and disburse benevolence funds on your behalf, please contact casework@accessofwestmichigan.org to learn more and receive an MOU.

To accurately create a case and review a neighbor’s history, Access needs enough information to correctly identify the individual and understand the current request.

Neighbor information

Full legal name
Preferred name/nickname, if applicable
Pronouns, if provided
Date of birth
Last four digits of Social Security number
Current address
Phone number
Email address
Household information, when relevant

Current assistance request

Type of assistance being requested (rent, utilities, deposit, transportation, etc.)
Total amount currently owed
Amount being requested
Reason for the current need
Any deadlines, shutoff dates, eviction/court dates, or other urgent circumstances
Other organizations or congregations currently assisting
Amounts already pledged or paid by other sources

For housing assistance

Landlord/property management name
Mailing/payment address
Contact information when available
Current rent ledger or documentation verifying the balance
Exact amount to be paid

For utility assistance

Utility provider
Account number
Current balance
Current bill or other documentation verifying the amount owed

When a congregation approves assistance
Please send Access written confirmation that includes the neighbor’s name, amount your congregation has approved, what the funds are for, and where/how the payment should be sent. Access will not release congregation funds based solely on an initial case inquiry.

Providing complete information helps us match neighbors to the correct profile, identify previous assistance, maintain accurate shared records, coordinate multiple congregations when necessary, and process approved payments correctly.

Please provide only the last four digits of the neighbor’s Social Security number, never the full number.

Access supports partner congregations with the behind-the-scenes casework, verification, coordination, and disbursement, while the congregation remains the neighbor’s primary point of contact.

Please do not refer neighbors directly to Access for financial assistance. Instead, neighbors can use our map to connect with a participating congregation in their area:

Congregation Connections Map

Access responds to casework requests Monday–Friday during regular business hours. Our goal is to respond to requests within 24 business hours, though some requests may take up to 48 business hours depending on case volume and complexity.

If you have not received a response within 48 business hours, please send a follow-up email so we can make sure your request was received.

For time-sensitive requests, please include any shutoff, eviction, court, or payment deadlines in your initial email.

Access provides a Congregation Connections map that neighbors can use to identify participating congregations in their area. Neighbors should contact congregations directly to discuss their needs and learn about each congregation’s individual assistance process.

Access does not assign neighbors to a congregation or determine whether assistance will be provided. Each congregation maintains its own guidelines, relationships, and decision-making process.

Once a congregation is working with a neighbor, Access supports the congregation through case verification, coordination, recordkeeping, and, when included in the congregation’s MOU, disbursement of approved funds.

Congregation Connections Map

Congregations have an important opportunity to build relationships with neighbors by conducting their own intake. This allows the congregation to hear the neighbor’s story, understand the circumstances surrounding the request, and make an informed decision about how they would like to respond.

As part of the Congregation Connections model, the congregation conducts the intake and remains the neighbor’s primary point of contact. Access supports the congregation through case verification, coordination, recordkeeping, and other services outlined in the congregation’s MOU.

If your congregation would like support developing its intake process or learning best practices for responding to benevolence requests, please contact caseworker@accessofwestmichigan.org.

Access can process and disburse approved assistance on behalf of partner congregations that have fund disbursement included in their MOU.

Once a congregation approves assistance, the congregation’s authorized contact should email caseworker@accessofwestmichigan.org with the neighbor’s name, approved amount, purpose of the assistance, and complete payment information, including the correct payee and mailing address or account information.

Access will process the payment and maintain a record of the disbursement. Congregations will be invoiced according to the billing and payment terms established in their MOU.

To prevent delays, please make sure Access has current contact and billing information for your congregation.

Congregation Connections casework and disbursement services are available to partner congregations through an active MOU with Access. Fees and services are outlined in each congregation’s agreement and help support the staff time, systems, case verification, coordination, recordkeeping, and financial administration required to operate the program.

For congregations using Access for fund disbursement, timely payment of invoices is important, as Access advances organizational funds to make approved payments on the congregation’s behalf.

For questions about services, fees, or establishing an MOU, please contact caseworker@accessofwestmichigan.org.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (PDF downloads)

Deacon Packet Community Resource Update

Revisioning Benevolence Worksheet