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The League in Fort Wayne becomes first Benefit Enrollment Center in Indiana

A photo shows Fort Wayne mayor Tom Henry seated at a table with an ASL interpreter standing next to the table and John Guingrich at a podium speaking.
ELLA ABBOTT
/
WBOI
The League president John Guingrich speaks to a crowd in the League's community center about the BEC designation on Wednesday, November 11, 2021. To Guingrich's right Fort Wayne mayor Tom Henry listens on as Gruingrich speaks.

The League in Fort Wayne has received designation as Indiana’s only Benefit Enrollment Center (BEC) from the National Council on Aging.

T he National Council on Aging designated six new centers, making 85 BECs across 41 states. According to the League, a BEC works as a one-stop-shop for Medicare beneficiaries who have limited incomes to enroll in extra benefits that can help with groceries, medication and energy.

The League President John Guingrich said people with disabilities living in poverty are often forced to make difficult decisions between paying for utilities, food or medical needs.

“The League is led by people with disabilities at both the board and staff level. The BEC will allow us to help our peers across the state to become enrolled in important programs that improve their ability to address their medical needs, deal with increasing utility expenses that we’re all gonna see and reduce food insecurity,” he said.

The League’s mission is to support people with disabilities all throughout northeast Indiana to live independently and access opportunities to reach their potential.

 

The last new program added by the League was in 2017, and before that in 2009, due to the careful consideration the organization uses when adding new programs. The decision to apply for the BEC designation was because it aligns so closely with the mission already established by the League.

Ella Abbott is a multimedia reporter for 89.1 WBOI. She is a strong believer in the ways audio storytelling can engage an audience and create a sensory experience.
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