January 2017 Compass eNewsletter

Benefits.gov would like to wish you a Happy New Year! With 2017 in full swing, you have an opportunity to start the year off on the right foot by finding new and exciting ways to give back to your community. Check out some of our recommendations below to get into the giving spirit.

Volunteer

Make some time to volunteer in your local community! On the Benefits.gov Volunteer Opportunities category page, you can learn about the volunteer programs managed by the Corporation for National & Community Service, a Federal agency that helps improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering. You can also visit USA.gov’s Volunteer page for a list of resources to help you find Federal organizations with service opportunities. Consider volunteering at a soup kitchen, donating clothes and toys, or participating in a community clean up.

Become a Mentor

January is National Mentoring Month (NMM), which focuses on how individuals and organizations can work together to mentor youth around the nation to make a positive impact in their lives. The NMM Become a Mentor page offers great resources for those interested in becoming a mentor in their state. Benefits.gov also houses information about a few mentoring programs, including the Fortune/U.S State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership. This program specifically connects women between the ages of 25-43 with members of Fortune’s “Most Powerful Women Leaders” for a month-long program. Also, anyone 55 years-of-age or older can participate in the Foster Grandparent Program, where they can serve as role models, mentors and friends to children with exceptional needs.

Share Benefit Information with Friends and Family

Another way to make an impact is to share the information you find here on Benefits.gov and online with your friends, family and community members in need. Our site offers information on over 1,200 government benefits and assistance programs from a partnership of 17 Federal agencies. On our site, you can discover benefits you may be eligible for, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid/Medicare, Unemployment Insurance, and many more. Simply take our pre-screening questionnaire, the Benefit Finder, to receive a list of programs that may be right for you based on your current situation. We also provide a wealth of timely news articles in our Newsroom with helpful tips and benefit-related information.

Take some time at the beginning of the year to set a goal to make a difference in your community, and remember, Benefits.gov is here to help! Subscribe to the Compass eNewsletter, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to learn more and stay connected.

It’s the start of the New Year, and you may notice an influx of people at the gym, new employees at work, or friends making new budget resolutions for their families. The New Year is often a season of hope and new beginnings. For many, it is a time to refresh old habits and to work toward new goals. This may include reconsidering your career, retiring, or even starting a new business venture.  

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), approximately 4,000-6,000 businesses are approved for loans with them each month, averaging $24 billion between 2015 and 2016. While entrepreneurship in the 21st century has certainly adapted and changed over time, SBA has been a steady contributor to allow businesses across the country to get started, to expand, and to prosper.

In 2017, the number of entrepreneurs and small business owners is expected to continue growing. Some even expect this number to reach 1 billion entrepreneurs globally by 2020, doubling the current number. Both millennials and baby boomers alike are looking now more than ever to have more options, either financially or with work/life flexibility. Workers today want the ability to control their own financial destinies and have a shot at the American Dream of business ownership through the free enterprise system.

The SBA defines a small business based upon the size within each industry category. Generally, the size-standard for a services or construction firm is based on the average receipts (over three years) of a firm, and the size-standard for a manufacturing firm is based on the number of employees. While SBA determines size on an industry-by-industry basis, the “anchor” standard, more broadly, is $7.5 million in annual receipts and 500 employees.

Once you determine whether your business qualifies as a “small business,” check and see if you are eligible for a small business loan through the standard SBA requirements. To check your eligibility, visit the SBA.gov evaluation criteria page to see what they look for in an ideal business loan request.

You can also use our Benefit Finder on Benefits.gov to find specific small business benefits that will be most helpful to you, as it relates to qualifying for loans, identifying tax breaks, and more.

February is Cancer Prevention Month, and there are many resources provided by both Federal agencies and non-governmental organizations. In this article, you’ll learn about some steps you can take to prevent cancer, as suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You will also learn about the screening services that are provided by the Medicaid Program and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Prevention Steps

The CDC produces a series of Web Features that include “prevention steps” for many different demographic groups. According to the CDC, these steps, focused on avoiding exposure to carcinogens and more, can reduce the likelihood of being diagnosed with cancer. Some of the most common CDC tips are:

• Stop tobacco use and avoid secondhand smoke. More men and women in the U.S. die from lung cancer than any other kind of cancer, and cigarette smoking causes most cases.
• Get recommended screening tests for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer. Screening tests are the best way to find these cancers early, when they are easier to treat.
• Protect your skin from the sun. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. and can be easily prevented by applying sun screen for both sunny and cloudy weather.
• Stay active and keep a healthy weight. Adopting a lifestyle that includes healthy eating and regular physical activity can help lower your risk for several kinds of cancer.
• Get vaccinated for HPV. The HPV vaccine is available for girls and women from 9 to 26 years old. Men can be vaccinated up until they are 21 years old. HPV infection can cause several types of cancer in both men and women.

If you are interested in more specific types of advice based on your age, gender, or on a specific form of cancer, the CDC’s Web Features includes a number of short articles on a range of topics including men, women, children, and even tips for cancer survivors.

If you would like to learn more about cancer and cancer prevention, visit the CDC’s website, Healthfinder.gov, or the National Institute of Health’s Cancer.gov. You can read more about how to apply for healthcare coverage through either Medicaid or CHIP on Benefits.gov, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) through Healthcare.gov.