Community Action helps local with heating

With winter weather setting in, Community Action of Southeast Iowa is offering assistance to those who need help paying their heating or electric bills.

Community Action is a nonprofit assisting households struggling to pay for necessities and funded in large part by federal grants.

'Energy assistance is an income-based program, so (applicants) have to qualify based off of their household income,” said Mica Van Amerongen, the group's Family Development Specialist. 'It's kind of like a point system. We gather all of what's included in their household and the computer spits out a formula and it grants them the amount of money they qualify for and we go from there.”

In December 2018, Community Action was able to assist 110 households with energy assistance across Henry, Des Moines, Lee and Louisa counties. Between those households, a total of $50,700 was awarded. There were 66 applications that month which were rejected; 59 of those were due to incomplete information.

Sixty-eight households also received $3,580 worth of help from Community Action's food pantry.

'We're trying to get people to understand that the program is here,” Van Amerongen said. 'So it never hurts to come in and see what we can do if you're struggling even in the slightest bit. We're just trying to help as many people as we can,”

In order to be considered for energy assistance, applicants should set an appointment with the local center and prepare documentation of all adult income in the household over the last 30 days, a copy of their most recent heating and electric bills, as well as proof of Social Security and birth for all household members.

The organization still has money allocated from last year, according to Executive director Sheri Wilson, so they will not start feeling repercussions from the government shutdown until February. Even then, Wilson says they intend to offer heating and electrical assistance through the period.

Any area household can apply for energy assistance through the last business day of April 2019.