SEATTLE — Carissa Brooks went to the Crossroads Shopping Center in Bellevue on Saturday to buy some thread. She went home with some health insurance. It was an emotional moment for the 36-year-old mother of two, who a year ago was diagnosed with mixed connective tissue disorder that she said sometimes causes her joint paint, hives and even has led to her hair falling out. She is uninsured and has struggled to pay for treatment.

While her income is modest, Brooks-who works as an administrative assistant with a Bellevue nonprofit that provides before- and after-school care for kids-said it’s just above the Medicaid threshold. But quitting her job to qualify would leave her unable to pay her other bills.

“I have to work,” Brooks said. “I have to provide for my kids.”

On Saturday, as she was shopping at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores at the mall, she stumbled upon a health-insurance outreach program by Public Health-Seattle & King County. The department hosted the event to help people obtain coverage through the state’s new exchange, created for the Affordable Care Act.

“It’s exciting,” Brooks said, after hugging her “in-person assister,” the staffer certified to help with enrollment. “I was going to cry.”

Brooks was able to qualify for Medicaid coverage under the new Affordable Care Act provisions, and she will not have to pay any premium for her coverage.