Community Corner

Program Helps Keep The Heat On

With cold weather approaching, Tri-Town Community Action Agency in Johnston has been collecting applications for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP.

Although it's been unseasonably warm lately, the cold weather is approaching — and so are annual hikes in heating costs for local families.

Tri-Town Community Action Program, located on Harford Avenue, works to lessen the impact of higher fuel bills through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP.

Beginning in late October, Tri-Town contacted all of the clients it served in 2010 and opened the program for new applications, said Emergency Services Program Director Stephanie DiTusa.

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"We sent them out on a Friday, and that following Monday, people started walking in and mailing them in," DiTusa explained during a recent interview.

The state Office of Energy Resources is expected to release the heating assistance funds, which provide one-time payments of between $270 and $450 per household, within the next couple of weeks.

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DiTusa said the local agency reviews applications and determines eligibility according to state standards.

"We use those income guidelines to make certain that those people who are applying do fit," DiTusa explained. A family of four with an annual gross (pre-tax) income of $52,601 would qualify, for instance.

Payments are made directly to the utility or private company, and are typically higher for people who use heating oil or other "deliverable" fuel, DiTusa said.

According to Matt Guglielmetti, who coordinates the program among Tri-Town's Johnston and South County offices, out of about 3,500 clients served last year, just under half were oil customers, with another 40 percent or so heating with natural gas and the rest using kerosene, wood, or other fuel.

Guglielmetti also noted that 144 of the clients also received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, benefits.

"It’s not a welfare program — this is really a safety-net program for low-income working families and elderly that's really ideal for those who are struggling right now," explained Guglielmetti. "It’s a modest amount to help somebody get through the winter."

DiTusa said 2011 marks her 19th year with Tri-Town.

"At that point, I was a stay-at-home mom and looking for a little more income, [and] they had a position for intake worker for heating assistance," she recalled.

Asked for what she feels is the most rewarding part of her job, DiTusa replied: "The people — I miss sitting and taking the applications, because it’s all paperwork now. I miss listening to what they’re saying [and] learning what their situation is."

The agency is still accepting applications for the 2011-12 heating season, DiTusa noted.

"To apply, a new person would call and book an appointment to fill out an application with an intake worker, then submit their documents," DiTusa explained.

As part of that intake process, Tri-Town staffers also make a referral to the weatherization program, which offers grants to make repairs and winterize clients' homes.

For more information, contact the Tri-Town Housing, Energy, and Emergency Services office at (401) 519-1913 or visit the Tri-Town emergency assistance website.


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