El-Ada's funds running dry for emergency energy help

Help is needed.

A program that helps impoverished families in the local area cover their energy bills during the winter season is rapidly running out of money with its funds expected to be exhausted by New Year's Eve.

The El-Ada Community Action Agency's main office in Garden City reported that a change in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program this season is tied to the funding issue.

Geared for those that fall within the 150 percent range of the federal poverty level, the program helps qualified families with their winter heating costs as well as energy efficiency efforts. Normally, the program has enough funding to provide this type of assistance from October to March each year.

However, the Community Action Partnership Association of Idaho, which oversees the program, started offering this funding earlier than usual to provide help to senior citizens on fixed income as well as those receiving full entitlement support. The goal was to help these families stay ahead of these needs as the weather began to change, said Christina Zamora, executive director with the state organization.

Statewide, the community organization receives $11.6 million each year specifically for this energy assistance effort. Elmore County receives $145,000 of those funds per year, Zamora said.

In turn, the El-Ada office in Mountain Home provides this form of energy assistance to 605 families in Elmore County, said Cristella Ramirez, county coordinator with the local relief agency. The agency here also serves families living in Grand View as other communities in Owyhee County.

Zamora said her organization does have some emergency funding remaining to help families, especially those at risk of having their heat turned off as the temperatures in southern Idaho continue to hover in the single digits this week. However, she emphasized that those funds are expected to run out quickly.

To help people make it through the rest of the winter, the Community Action Partnership Association of Idaho expects to refer people to the Salvation Army and other relief agencies for help, Zamora said.

Those who live in Ada, Elmore or Owyhee counties that feel they qualify for the program were urged by officials to call El-Ada before Thursday's deadline. Those who receive help from the Mountain Home office should call 587-8407.

Those with questions about changes in the program this season may also call the Community Action Partnership Association of Idaho at 375-7382.