The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Appointments to open for Winter Crisis Program
The Lorain County Community Action Agency announced appointments for winter heating assistance will begin Nov. 1, according to a news release.
Residents who need help paying for heat or who have had their heat turned off can call to schedule an appointment beginning Oct. 15.
To be eligible for help, residents must live at or below 175 percent of the federal poverty line, according to the release.
Residents who have received a disconnect notice are especially urged to call the HEAP hotline at 855806-9620 to make an appointment.
The automated line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Utility companies will hold your disconnect if you have made an appointment to determine eligibility, according to the release.
An appointment must be no less than 48 hours before a disconnect is scheduled, and the appointment must be kept to maintain the hold on an account, the release said.
Rescheduling removes the hold and could result in losing service, the release said.
Lorain County Community Action Agency serves clients at three locations: 936 Broadway in Lorain; 115 Willard Memorial Square in Wellington at the Wellington Village Hall; and a new satellite location at St. Agnes Church at 611 Lake Ave. in Elyria. Hours of operation Lorain office walk-in hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Appointments are available all day long.
Wellington office is open 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Wednesdays, with walk-ins in the morning and appointments available in the afternoon during the crisis period.
The Elyria office is open on Mondays and Tuesdays with an emphasis on walkins. Walk-ins are received from 8-11 a.m. and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesdays. Appointments are available from 1-4 p.m., Mondays.
All sites are closed for lunch daily from noon to 1 p.m. You must be seated with an advocate within 45 minutes of closing to be seen.
The Winter Crisis Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency’s Office of Community Assistance.