Deaf and hard of hearing Somerville residents living on low incomes can now call the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) for help making ends meet.  CAAS’ new TTY number is 617-628-6387, Executive Director Kimberly Smith-Cofield announced.

Deaf low-income parents living in Somerville or Cambridge can call the new TTY to enroll their three-to-five-year-old children in CAAS Head Start.  Somerville residents can use the TTY to access all CAAS services including eviction prevention, housing and benefits advocacy, food stamps, fuel assistance, and a Latino youth leadership program.  Beginning in January, CAAS will also offer housing search, employment and training, legal help for tenants in unhealthy apartments, and free tax preparation for low-income Somerville residents.

“We have installed the TTY as part of our ongoing commitment to serve the full diversity of the people of Somerville,” Smith-Cofield said.  “We are grateful for the economic stimulus funding that supports this new accessibility at CAAS and pays for many of our new programs.”

CAAS is working to end poverty where we live.  The mission of CAAS is to reduce poverty among local families and individuals while working to counteract, and whenever possible eliminate, the societal conditions that cause and perpetuate poverty. For more information about CAAS, see www.caasomerville.org.