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For Immediate Release A Conversation with Senator Brubaker LIHEAP funds available to low-income families Grants from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) are available to help low-income families keep their homes warm this winter. However, the program could be shortened if funds are depleted, so eligible individuals should apply soon. Cash grants are based on income, household type, and type of fuel used, while crisis grants can be issued to help resolve emergency situations such as broken heating equipment or lack of fuel. Applicants can either own or rent their homes, and do not need to be receiving public assistance or have an unpaid heating bill. Income limits for LIHEAP start at $15,315 for a one-person household, plus $5,220 for each additional person. The program provides the greatest assistance to those with the lowest incomes and highest heating costs, as well as those with special needs. Individuals can apply through the Lancaster County Assistance Office, 832 Manor Street, P.O. Box 4967, Lancaster, 17604; you can reach the Office at 299-7411 regarding cash grants or 800-732-0018 regarding crisis grants. Help is also available by calling the LIHEAP hotline at 1-866-857-7095, or the TDD number at 1-800-451-5886 for hearing-impaired individuals. Online application for cash grants is possible at www.compass.state.pa.us. General Assembly acts to provide funding to HSCA I am pleased to report that the General Assembly has approved legislation, recently signed into law, that will continue funding cleanup of contaminated sites in Pennsylvania. Sites can be contaminated for a variety of reasons, such as illegal hazardous waste disposals or chemical spills. Pennsylvania's Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act, or HSCA, provides the funding for many of these vital environmental cleanups and remediation. Funding for the HSCA program was scheduled to be depleted at the end of December, but Senate Bill 1100 recognizes how critical this program is and provides funding for the remainder of this fiscal year as well as the next three fiscal years. I am also pleased that we were able to do this without increasing the tax burden on Commonwealth citizens, instead utilizing existing revenues. Protecting the health of our communities and environment is very important to me, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to find a long-term solution that looks beyond the four-year funding plan established by Senate Bill 1100. Lydia Center provides home and hope to women I had the privilege recently to visit the Water Street Rescue Mission's Lydia Center in Wrightsville, which offers residence and hope to women of all ages who are changing their lives for the better. For the past five years, the Center has been dedicated to its mission of meeting the needs of "the least, the last, and the lost." Various classes and mentor relationships help women to address issues such as abuse or addiction to drugs or alcohol. The Lydia Center relies on community support both for funding and volunteers. For instance, the Center is currently seeking individuals, particularly from local fitness centers, who would be willing to introduce fitness classes to the exercise room on a regular basis. Volunteer art teachers are also welcome to teach new craft classes, and many women are interested in learning the proper techniques of painting on canvas. Donations of Christian books for the library are being accepted as well. Any help that the community can
give to these individuals in need would be greatly appreciated. If you are
interested in volunteering at the Lydia Center, you can contact Melissa Alcorn,
Director, at
malcorn@wsrm.org or 252-5986. | ||
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