An increase in the online hacking of residents’ SNAP benefits was reported by Bristol Community Services Coordinator Jeffrey Arduini Wednesday night at the Youth and Community Services Commission meeting.
In addition, Arduini presented information he acquired at an anti-drug conference earlier in the summer, and Youth and Community Services Supervisor Stephen Bynum shared information about summer camp, including financial aid provided to campers.
Arduini, in his report on the hacking incidents, said recently the department purchased groceries for two families whose benefits were wiped away in a matter of minutes.
One family that lives on Davis Drive lost $900, which was spent all along the East Coast, Arduini said. He said that the resident knows six other families who experienced similar issues.
“We’re still working on which authorities are the proper venue to go through,” Arduini said, regarding the next steps in resolving the case.
Youth and Community Services Supervisor Stephen Bynum said that the state Department of Social Services will likely assign a new account number or card but will not replace lost funds.
“That’s kind of a difficult thing for a family to recover from,” Bynum said about families who lose SNAP benefits at the beginning of the month.
Arduini said the families were also provided assistance from local nonprofits, like the Salvation Army.
In other business, Bynum said that the department was able to send 122 youths to summer camp programs after receiving 79 applications for financial aid.
He said that children were sent to Bristol Parks and Recreation camps, along with other community groups like the Bristol Boys and Girls Club. The total aid given out was $28,490, according to a presentation read by Bynum.
“I think we did a great job supporting that many families and that many kids,” Bynum said.
In a separate report, Arduini presented information about a Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America conference he attended with colleagues in Orlando, Fla., this July.
He said he was briefed on the dangers of a new drug called Car Fentanyl and was provided with a small bag of Narcan. As of now, the commission said that they have found no traces of Car Fentyanl in Bristol.
Arduini said he learned that that perceptions and beliefs or false beliefs can shape teen behaviors, referring to a study shared at the conference that showed alcohol use by high schoolers was less than popularly believed.
He said the presenter talked about difficulties she experienced trying to partner with schools to talk about drug use prevention.
“I thought that was really interesting, given the amount that we are in schools, and the access that we have to kids and being able to educate them,” Arduini said. “I thought that we are very lucky.”
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