TCC benefits staff to hold in-person family services night in McGrath Aug. 19

McGrath residents will get a chance to meet face to face with Tanana Chiefs Conference benefits staff when the organization visits the community Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 5 p.m. at the McGrath Native Village Council building. Staff from Energy Assistance, TANF, and Education and Employment will attend. TCC lists the visit Aug. 17 through 20 under its Employment and Training category of hosted events.

The evening pairs program access with bingo, crafting, a photo booth, self-care activities and taco night.

TCC serves 37 federally recognized tribes across 235,000 square miles of Interior Alaska. Its Tribal TANF program operates from the Chief Peter John Tribal Building in Fairbanks and places Tribal Workforce Development Specialists in 37 remote villages. TCC's Employment and Training department states in its application form that its purpose is "to assist eligible Alaska Natives and American Indians to obtain and retain employment and maintain self-sufficiency."

Families enrolled in TCC's Tribal TANF program rely on employment workshops, job fairs and village-based workforce staff to connect with jobs and benefits, according to a federal Office of Family Assistance profile of the program. The profile notes that in communities such as McGrath, in-person outreach can reduce barriers to reaching those services.

Under TCC's PL 102-477 plan, families must have a head of household enrolled, or eligible for enrollment, in a federally recognized tribe. For certain services, families must also meet income thresholds, including 60% of State Median Income.