Denver’s MyFriendBen site gives info on preschool aid, discounts, help

Denverites can now find out which city benefits, discounts and programs they qualify for through a new web portal, Mayor Mike Johnston said Wednesday.

The new service, called MyFriendBen, uses residents’ basic biographical information to scan more than 50 public benefits and tell users which ones they may qualify for in only a few minutes. The services include the city’s preschool program, food assistance, recycling and trash rebates, public transit discounts, temporary rental and utility assistance, and more.

The site was launched in collaboration with the philanthropic foundation Gary Community Ventures. Johnston led the organization before becoming mayor.

“One in three Denverites utilize public benefits, from trash rebates to food assistance to health care and more,” Johnston said in a news release. “But we know that actually accessing those benefits can be incredibly complicated and time-consuming, leaving hundreds of millions of dollars in public support on the table each year.”