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Director Casey Pachochin outlines shift to needs‑based aid and relaunch of community work program
Summary
At the Sept. 16 DeKalb Township board meeting, Director of General Assistance Casey Pachochin detailed a move from a flat monthly grant to a means‑based assistance model, a security‑deposit fund, and a relaunch of a community work program to help clients gain work experience.
At the DeKalb Township Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 16, 2025, Casey Pachochin, director of the township’s general assistance program, described a major recalibration of how the office delivers aid to residents in need.
Pachochin said the township moved away from a flat monthly check toward a means‑based approach that assigns specific dollar amounts to basic maintenance needs: “for rent, we would assign up to $550 per month…or with utilities, we decided we could do $70 a month,” she said, and added the program can provide fuel assistance via $50 gift cards and Walmart cards for essentials.
The change is intended to target limited township resources toward specific costs rather than an undifferentiated cash payment, Pachochin said. She also described a security‑deposit fund created with partner agencies to help people move into subsidized housing: “We’ll start a fund just for those security deposits…up to $500,” she said, and reported the township set aside about $4,500 this year and had roughly $1,100 remaining for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Pachochin outlined rules for emergency assistance: it is a one‑time award in a 12‑month period that starts at $995 and increases by about $100 for each additional family member; repeat requests are reduced by 20% in subsequent years and the program is capped on a five‑year lifetime schedule modeled on public‑aid limits.
To help recipients obtain paid work, Pachochin said the township relaunched a community work program. After three months of assistance, participants will be placed in volunteer assignments with partner agencies to build resumes and references. Pachochin described the program as a “hand up” that gives participants work experience and community references that local employers will recognize.
Erica Brown, a case manager, said staff also are monitoring state changes to SNAP and Medicaid that could affect residents’ eligibility and work requirements. “Changes coming down the pipe for…SNAP…are gonna be a really, really big change here,” Brown said; staff are pursuing ways to ensure volunteer hours provided through township programs will apply toward state requirements.
Why this matters: the restructuring targets township dollars to the highest need (rent, utilities, deposits) and links assistance to pathways toward employment, while staff monitor state policy shifts that could increase demand for local services.
Next steps: Supervisor Mary Hess told trustees staff are reviewing 26 human‑service funding applications and will return in October and November with committee recommendations for board approval.
