Benefits Navigator

Benefits Navigator Program

What is a Benefits Navigator?

  • In 2021, the Oregon legislature passed House Bill 2835 (HB2835), the Benefits Navigator Bill, providing $4.99 million for basic needs support for students at community colleges and public universities in Oregon. The bill aims to close the opportunity gap and facilitate economic mobility by increasing access to federal, state, and local benefits for low-income students at community colleges and public universities.
  • One task of the Benefits Navigator is to find and connect resources that address the basic needs of our students to all our student populations here at EOU. For example, if a student needs housing assistance, the Benefits Navigator finds a resource to help with rental or utility assistance. These resources range from food, housing, healthcare, and transportation.
  • Increase awareness of local, state, and federal benefits for our students and provide support in enrolling them in these benefits. These benefits include SNAP and Oregon Health Plan(OHP) benefits.
  • To continue providing resources to our student populations, the Benefits Navigator creates long-lasting partnerships with various agencies locally, regionally, and federally. These agencies include, but are not limited to, local businesses, community-based organizations, Community Health Workers, federal offices like ODHS, and more.

At EOU, the Benefits Navigator is here to provide services and referrals, make meaningful connections, and help you be the best student you can be. 

The resources shared here are to help you succeed and meet your basic needs. If you need help navigating or don’t know where to start, call the Benefits Navigator at 541-962-3741 or email pfredrick@eou.edu or resourceadvocate-group@eou.edu.

Contact Your Benefits Navigator

Picture of Pamela Fredrick Williams, EOU Benefits Navigator

Pamela Fredrick-Williams
Office Location: Hoke 118
Office Number: 541-962-3741 Email: pfredrick@eou.edu Book an appointment with Pamela

On-Campus Resources
Off-Campus Resources
Program Highlights
A piece of art created as a collaborative work between EOU Multicultural Center students and the EOU Arts program, showing the connections that students have with the rural institution and their hometowns.
Students engage in meaningful dialogue and gain awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the CEAD Conference, hosted by the Student Council for Multicultural Affairs. Keynote speaker Jeremiah J. Sims encourages critical thinking and personal growth to foster inclusive leadership. (EOU photograph / Micahel K. Dakota)
Student leaders taking on the Fall 2024 Finals Week Survival Kits event where they share and pass out snacks to energize students during their finals.
Student leaders are taking on the Fall 2024 Finals Week Survival Kits event, where they share and pass out snacks to energize students during their finals.
The Benefits Navigator partners with the Oregon Food Bank and brings Fresh Alliance Food Distribution to the campus community, students and employees all together to receive free food for their families.
During the Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service, the Office of Strategic Equity Initiatives hosts a winter clothing drive for students and their families. The campus and people in the community donate winter clothing, boots, and gear to help families in need.
The EOU Benefits Navigator partners with a lot of local organizations that provide food resources and host a Fall Food Share Event on campus. These local organizations are always happy to share their resources with the students by bringing free food or groceries to give away.

EOU Student Testimonies

“The Benefits Navigator (BN) has been great at helping me navigate benefits. 5/5 stars. The biggest help was with finding rent assistance. Having someone from the university represent me was critical in expediting that request. When applying alone, I got ignored. Having a representative from the university reach out on my behalf got results.

Having SNAP reps on campus is super convenient. I never signed up for food stamps before. Having SNAP reps there, to walk me through it, lowered the intimidation factor significantly. I ordered one of those thanksgiving food boxes. That was really cool, seeing all those gift boxes going out. The BN also helped me register for health insurance. I didn’t know that was even available, or if I qualified. That was a pleasant surprise.”

“The grocery/fuel card has allowed me to accomplish a few things around town without having to walk and will allow me to get back home for Thanksgiving. The thrift store voucher was used to buy a number of automotive accessories that will make my vehicle safer for the Winter season. Also, a couple of weeks back I was able to finally straighten out my SNAP issues because the program had invited some enrollment specialists from Self Sufficiency to the campus for a day.”

“I may be taking online classes at the moment for personal reasons but I never ignore opportunities like this. I tried my best to engage in every opportunities that the Benefits Navigator program offers. The Benefits Navigator program benefits me with not just the benefits listed above but also opportunities to socialize among peers from different background and be able to build connections/relationships, and for that I am forever grateful. We need more resource opportunities like the Benefits Navigator Program.