As far as Anthony is concerned, “life is pretty okay”. He doesn’t really have any big problems or any complaints. Anthony rides his bike to stay healthy. He is proud that he rides up to 60 miles each day. He also likes to fix up bikes to sell – and he’s good at it! He has a lot of interests. He doesn’t work because he has some health issues. He receives SSI each month which helps him get by financially. Being on SSI also allows him to take care of his medical needs because Medicaid is attached to his SSI benefits.  

Anthony moved to Arkansas from Missouri because his girlfriend invited him to make the move with her. They’d recently been evicted and so moving to a new place was kind of an adventure! The first night he arrived, one of his new friends told him about a dinner that is held every Monday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Walker Park in Fayetteville. They told him the food was delicious, the people were nice, and that there would be people there who could help him move his Medicaid from Missouri to Arkansas. This is how Anthony found “MayDay NWA1”. The MayDay founder, Alex Tripodi, has organized a few of the local chefs from Arkansas’ finest restaurants to provide free dinner to Fayetteville’s struggling working class while connecting them with services they may need. A lot of food programs are designed to give out meals and kind of keep this barrier between the people who are serving meals and the people that are receiving meals – but not at MayDay. At these dinners, everyone is working at sharing a meal, building community, and lifting each other up.  Anthony is very happy he learned about MayDay on his first day in Arkansas. 

After eating a delicious meal, Anthony was able to get the help he needed right there in the park.  They helped him start getting his Medicaid benefits closed in Missouri and opened in Arkansas. When the dinner was finished, Anthony and his girlfriend didn’t have anywhere to sleep so they slept in the park. They spent the next few days trying to find a place to stay and getting Anthony’s benefits straight. Every night they slept in the woods because they had nowhere else to go. They got lucky when his girlfriend’s brother offered to let them stay with him. Anthony was pretty sure he was in love, so he proposed to his girlfriend, and she said yes! Sadly, Anthony’s luck changed because his new fiancé broke things off with him. Despite the broken engagement, he could continue staying in the brother’s home because they all seem to get along well.  

As for the Medicaid transfer from Missouri to Arkansas, things went smoothly, which made Anthony happy because he had excruciating ear pain and needed to see a doctor. Anthony's insurance helped him find a doctor and address his health issues. She even gave him an inhaler for free; which he really appreciated. Anthony really likes his new doctor and loves Arkansas’ Medicaid program.  

If anyone asks, Anthony tells them that Medicaid in Arkansas is a good thing, and they should absolutely get it if they need insurance. He also tells them about Monday night dinners in Walker Park – where one can find excellent food, new friends, help with benefits like Medicaid, and a guy who is good at fixing up bikes.