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Community Action Council for Lexington-Fayette, Scott, Madison, Bourbon, Harrison and Nicholas County
Community Action Council for Lexington-Fayette, Scott, Madison, Bourbon, Harrison and Nicholas County.
Energy bill assistance
Several programs are offered for struggling, low income, and unemployed families in the region. The Community Action Council for Lexington-Fayette, Harrison, Scott and Nicholas Counties is a leading non-profit agency in the region that provides both short term, emergency assistance and longer term stability and self-sufficiency.
If the center can’t meet your needs, they may have referrals as the organization works closely with other organizations. Case managers also have information on federal government and state of Kentucky public benefits. Energy bill assistance:
The Community Action Council has information on, and maybe direct financial assistance, for various utility needs. Some of the programs that may be available for paying heating or energy bills are as follows.
Delta Gas Energy Assistance Program is an option for Bourbon County residents and other counties that use this energy provider. They may be able to receive a credit on their utility bills during the fall or winter months. The Columbia Gas Energy Assistance Program (EAP) is available in the entire region.
For those customers that meet qualifications, a credit or discount can be placed onto their account. Case managers can provide more information on this service which is available from November through March. Water bill assistance is offered from the donation program known as Help to Others.
This may offer help with paying water bills in emergency situations. The resources are generally offered as a last resort. The H2O program is paid for by Kentucky American Water Company (KAWC) and donations from the community.
Find other ways to get emergency water bill help Federal government grants
may be offered from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP. This is an option is the entire region, including the counties of Fayette, Harrison, Nicholas, and Bourbon. Low income families and the elderly may receive a subsidy for paying utility or they can look into crisis assistance.
The crisis program is really for residents that have received a disconnection notice on their energy bill or that have run out of fuel. Kentucky Utilities Home Energy Assistance Program may issue customers a credit. Those that benefit will need to agree to a payment plan. If someone is unable to pay the remaining balance on their account they will be disconnected from utility service.
So program terms need to be followed. The Kentucky LIHEAP program offers people in need energy and heating bill assistance. The aid is targeted at low-income families and individuals. There are two main parts of the program.
The exact amount of the payment provided will be determined by family size, type of heat used in the home, and the applicants income. The subsidy component of LIHEAP provides a one-time cash payment for heating bills. There is also the crisis component will help those clients who have received a utility or heating shutoff notices and will be without heat within 4 days.
Summer cooling and air condoning assistance
Financial assistance from the Community Action Council
may be offered. The Community Action Council may be able to loan out air conditioners to households or families that have a member with a life threatening health risk or that are unemployed with a medical condition. Every summer in Lexington, free air conditioners will be loaned from community action to families and individuals whose health is threatened by the high heat and humidity in Kentucky as verified by their doctors.
They are short term resources for qualified low income families in Fayette County. WarmWis e is offered by the council in partnership with Columbia Gas of Kentucky. The program will pay for and install 90% or higher efficiency furnaces in the homes of qualifying low-income and working poor participants.
Weatherization Assistance Program
is the main government energy conservation program. The Community Action Council runs it and it will offer energy-efficiency to participants’ homes through inspection, improvements and repairs. The program will pay for replacing heating systems, sealing windows and doors and insulating walls and floors.
Another component is called the:
Case management and family services
Weatherization Enhancement Program. This assistance was created to provide for the installation of new furnaces, water heaters, or other primary heating source in the case of a non-repairable heating equipment. Click here to read more on heating equipment repairs
The Funded by Kentucky Utilities Company WECARE Residential Low-Income Weatherization Program can also help lower a households’ electricity consumption and help them save money. The company will pay for the insulation of exterior walls, attic, water heaters and more. Or get funds for repairing air leaks around doors, windows, plumbing penetrations, and holes in structure of house.
WECARE may also provide for replacing inefficient refrigerators and window air conditioners; and installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, low-flow shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators. WinterCare Energy Fund is a crisis program for those residents that need their power connected, re-connected or for people that have a shut off notice.
The WinterCare Energy Fund may offer heating bill assistance in a crisis to those that qualify. This is a program that is supported by the government of Kentucky
Financial assistance from the Community Action Council: Basic needs can be met by the Nicholas County clothing bank . For those that are in need, free gently used clothing may be offered. This can include items for work or school as well. The unemployed may get professional work attire for an interview or first day at the new job.
Suited for success and free clothing banks provide basic needs to the community. The Lexington clothing banks and Suited for Success Program provide clothing free of charge to low-income people who need clothing assistance.
In addition, the program will also help low and moderate income individuals, and it will provide them with appropriate clothing for the workplace. Free clothing items offered to people in need include suits, blouses/shirts, ties, dresses, shoes, and underclothes. Emergency, or Miscellaneous Assistance Funds , can cover a variety of needs.
These funds are donated by generous people and businesses in our communities and can cover expenses that do not fall into other categories. Transportation resources
Community Action Council food assistance programs
are offered. The Community Action Council can provide
free gasoline cards for travel in the Lexington area for work or a crisis medical appointment. Other car repairs and what not may be coordinated too. Senior Transportation Services in Fayette County can provide transportation for Prescription delivery, Grocery and retail shopping, or Doctor and Medical appointments.
Case management and family services The free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
can offer tax and federal government income help to low- to moderate-income people and seniors who need help preparing and filing their tax returns. The Community Action Council for Lexington-Fayette, Bourbon, Harrison and Nicholas County has trained and certified volunteers to help prepare basic tax returns for income qualified.
All services are provided for free. Financial fitness workshops and seminars can connect families and individuals with the tools and strategies they can use to build savings, increase their income and gain and sustain assets. Participants of the program will take part in individual or group trainings.
Clients can also benefit from individually directed support to address specific steps that are needed to move toward long term financial stability. Low income families often struggle to build emergency savings
Housing and rent assistance or shelters
. The team at the Community Action Council in Lexington, Scott, and nearby counties can help. They give tips and go over techniques. Find how to build savings on a low income Employment services
, both for the under and unemployed - The Community Action Council for Lexington-Fayette helps residents either find a job or increase their income. This is part of job programs and/or career counseling.
There are hobbies, side gigs, smartphone apps and other ways to make money. It can be fairly quicker to use smartphone apps to save or make money
. Or there are tools such as freelance websites as well as career centers. Community Action in LExington can serve as a resource.
Locations of non-profit community action agency
Community Action Council food assistance programs:
Bread and boxes of groceries are offered from the non-profit. These are passed out in effort to supplement the nutritional needs of struggling families and individuals. The community action agency will distribute free bread twice a week at its Downtown, West End and East End Neighborhood Centers. They are also offered in Fayette.
For people that live in Nicholas County, free food boxes are distributed once every two months at the Nicholas County Center. They also work with local food banks such as God’s Pantry and other pantries and churches. Housing and rent assistance or shelters: Rent assistance
can be offered by community action. The Community Action Council for Lexington-Fayette County provides emergency assistance. They can provide funds to help people pay their rent, or avoid an eviction.
If they do not have funds available, they can refer people to other local charities and agencies that can offer rent help. Another regional option is the offered too. The government funded: Emergency Food and Shelter Program
is offered in Nicholas and Harrison Counties. It can provide rent assistance, housing, and mortgage help to poor an
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