A retiree who lives alone, Kathleen struggles to overcome the same obstacles that many seniors face every day in Minnesota. Among the daily dilemmas she encounters is staying safe and warm in her home while also making sure she has enough food and medicine to get by. When she applied for Medicare at her local Ramsey County office, a staff member provided Kathleen with a referral to Community Action’s Energy Assistance Program as a way to both help lower the heating bills and maintain her independent living situation.
Kathleen diligently monitors her energy usage but notes that it is still a challenge to make ends meet. She got rid of her cable boxes to lower her electricity costs and other monthly expenses, adding that “On a fixed income, there is only so much you can conserve, only so much you can save. Half of my income goes to pay my mortgage. Me and others in my position would be devastated in it weren’t for programs such as Energy Assistance.” Kathleen is grateful that the help she receives enables her to say in her St. Paul home where she’s been now for more than a quarter-century. “If not for this program,” she says, “I doubt that I could keep living here.”
Each year Community Action Energy Assistance helps tens of thousands of people like Kathleen pay their utility bills, avert eviction/foreclosure, and address other energy related emergencies like furnace repair and replacement. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the deadline to apply for Energy Assistance for this year has been extended to July 1, 2020 and there is additional funding for crisis this season as well.
If you or someone you know is in need of help, Energy Assistance applications can be downloaded at www.caprw.org or requested by calling 651-645-6470. Completed applications and any additional documents can be submitted one of four different ways:
1) Drop-off at our St. Paul headquarters—450 Syndicate St. N, Suite 122, St. Paul, MN 55104. There is a white mailbox outside the entrance by the parking lot and there is also a dropbox inside the building next to the door to Suite 122.
2) Through the U.S. Mail to Community Action at 450 Syndicate St. N, Suite 122, St. Paul, MN 55104
3) By fax at 651-603-5984
4) Or by emailing SCANNED applications to eap@caprw.org
Additional services such as SNAP application assistance are also still being provided at this time. Please call Community Action at 651-603-5883 or email foodsupport@caprw.org for more information.
