Georgia receives $21,120,355 to assist low income Georgians with expected high heating bills due to recent cold snap.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the release of $1.2 billion to states to help low income citizens in the coming weeks with their heating bills. These funds represent grants to states, tribes and territories under the
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
"The release of these funds will assist millions of Americans who may not be in the position to afford heating costs during these cold winter months," Secretary Sebelius said. "More low-income families will now have the chance to use their income for other necessities."
LIHEAP helps eligible families pay the costs of heating and insulating their homes in the winter and cooling their homes in the summer. HHS is releasing such a large allocation of LIHEAP funds now in order to ensure that states have resources available to support their energy assistance programs as the weather turns colder and the nation faces high unemployment rates.
"LIHEAP helps more than six million low-income households deal with energy costs," said Carmen R. Nazario, assistant secretary for children and families. "We will continue to work with states, tribes and territories to assure their heating assistance programs work effectively."
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Showing posts with label heat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heat. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Celebrating 25 Years of Energy Assistance to Georgia Families
/PRNewswire/ -- Heating Energy Assistance Team, Inc., an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization that is Georgia's oldest statewide fuel fund, recently celebrated 25 years of providing energy assistance to Georgians statewide, thanks to H.E.A.T.'s partnership with community-minded organizations like AGL Resources, Georgia Natural Gas, SCANA Energy, Gas South, the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia, and many more.
During the past 25 years, H.E.A.T. has raised nearly $17 million in energy assistance for more than 82,000 families. "It's a mighty good thing that a program like H.E.A.T. does such good work," H.E.A.T. recipient Evelyn Gregory told celebration attendees. "I've been able to get help with my heating bills at the beginning of the heating season, and I'm so grateful of that." Gregory, a widow of 10 years, lives on a fixed income and often has to choose between buying groceries and staying warm during the winter. Thousands of Georgians face that choice every year.
H.E.A.T., originally established by Atlanta Gas Light Company in 1983, has helped address the energy needs of low-income Georgians by joining forces with concerned citizens, businesses and state government. When the Georgia General Assembly deregulated the state's natural gas industry, H.E.A.T. became a separate 501 (c) (3) nonprofit tax-exempt entity in May 2000.
Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Chuck Eaton, keynote speaker at the celebration, praised H.E.A.T. and said that the best way the commission could help Georgians is by keeping the cost of heating down. "Electricity demand is growing by 1,000 megawatts a year in Georgia," he said. "Coal, nuclear and natural gas can be used to manufacture electricity, but there are pro's and con's to each of those. In 2007, 33 percent of natural gas use was for electric generation, so that caused upward pressure on prices. We have to be diversified and keep all options on the table - not just natural gas, but also coal, nuclear, biomass, solar and wind. There's no easy answer, but it's a mistake to oversimplify this problem."
During the celebration Joan Martin, wife of U.S. Senate candidate Jim Martin, spoke on his behalf, emphasizing that her husband was actively involved with H.E.A.T. beginning in January 1983. In his prepared remarks, he said, "The partnership between the Georgia Department of Human Resources, the community action agencies, the federal government, the PSC and H.E.A.T. is the envy of the nation. Federal, state, nonprofit, private individuals and business working together to assist the elderly, disabled and poor stay warm. It is simply a miracle."
H.E.A.T. staff and the board of directors, consisting of volunteer business and consumer leaders from around the state, work diligently to raise funds throughout the year. "Thousands of families cope with poverty, unemployment and high energy costs every winter," says H.E.A.T. Board Chairman Chris Strippelhoff. "With the generosity of Georgia citizens and the energy industry, H.E.A.T. has helped so many families in need - but there remains much to be done."
For more information about H.E.A.T. or to donate online, go to www.heatga.org .
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During the past 25 years, H.E.A.T. has raised nearly $17 million in energy assistance for more than 82,000 families. "It's a mighty good thing that a program like H.E.A.T. does such good work," H.E.A.T. recipient Evelyn Gregory told celebration attendees. "I've been able to get help with my heating bills at the beginning of the heating season, and I'm so grateful of that." Gregory, a widow of 10 years, lives on a fixed income and often has to choose between buying groceries and staying warm during the winter. Thousands of Georgians face that choice every year.
H.E.A.T., originally established by Atlanta Gas Light Company in 1983, has helped address the energy needs of low-income Georgians by joining forces with concerned citizens, businesses and state government. When the Georgia General Assembly deregulated the state's natural gas industry, H.E.A.T. became a separate 501 (c) (3) nonprofit tax-exempt entity in May 2000.
Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Chuck Eaton, keynote speaker at the celebration, praised H.E.A.T. and said that the best way the commission could help Georgians is by keeping the cost of heating down. "Electricity demand is growing by 1,000 megawatts a year in Georgia," he said. "Coal, nuclear and natural gas can be used to manufacture electricity, but there are pro's and con's to each of those. In 2007, 33 percent of natural gas use was for electric generation, so that caused upward pressure on prices. We have to be diversified and keep all options on the table - not just natural gas, but also coal, nuclear, biomass, solar and wind. There's no easy answer, but it's a mistake to oversimplify this problem."
During the celebration Joan Martin, wife of U.S. Senate candidate Jim Martin, spoke on his behalf, emphasizing that her husband was actively involved with H.E.A.T. beginning in January 1983. In his prepared remarks, he said, "The partnership between the Georgia Department of Human Resources, the community action agencies, the federal government, the PSC and H.E.A.T. is the envy of the nation. Federal, state, nonprofit, private individuals and business working together to assist the elderly, disabled and poor stay warm. It is simply a miracle."
H.E.A.T. staff and the board of directors, consisting of volunteer business and consumer leaders from around the state, work diligently to raise funds throughout the year. "Thousands of families cope with poverty, unemployment and high energy costs every winter," says H.E.A.T. Board Chairman Chris Strippelhoff. "With the generosity of Georgia citizens and the energy industry, H.E.A.T. has helped so many families in need - but there remains much to be done."
For more information about H.E.A.T. or to donate online, go to www.heatga.org .
-----
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