For Immediate Release
June 14, 2017
Jackson-Vinton Community Action, Inc.
Contact: Pamela Pittenger 740-384-3722 ext 40
Or Email at [email protected]
Ohio Development Services Agency Contact:
Penny Martin (614) 644-8774
[email protected]
HEAP Summer Crisis Program Starts July 1
The Ohio Development Services Agency and Jackson-Vinton Community Action, Inc. (JVCAI) will help
income-eligible Ohioans stay cool during the hot summer months. The Home Energy Assistance
Summer Crisis Program provides eligible Ohioans assistance paying an electric bill. The program is
available from July 3 until August 31, 2017. JVCAI will begin taking phone calls June 26, 2017 to
schedule appointments starting July 3, 2017 for the Summer Crisis Program.
“July and August can be two extremely hot months in Ohio, and that can take a toll on older Ohioans
and Ohioans with breathing conditions,” said David Goodman, director of the Ohio Development
Services Agency.
In 2016 more than 338 families in Jackson and Vinton counties were assisted through the Home
Energy Assistance Summer Crisis Program.
JVCAI is devoted to meeting the targeted needs of the community by providing the opportunities for
families and individuals to be healthier, better educated, more independent and better able to advocate
for their selves. Through the HEAP Summer Crisis Program, we are able to meet some of these
targeted needs.
The Summer Crisis Program target is targeting income eligible households with an older family member
(60 years or older), or family members that can provide physician documentation that cooling
assistance is needed for a household member's health. Conditions can include lung disease, Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or asthma. The physician statement can be found on our website at
www.jvcai.org .
Eligible households can receive monetary assistance with electric bills and/or a window air conditioning
unit, provided they have not received one within the past three years. Ohioans must have a gross
income at or below 175 percent of the federal poverty guidelines to qualify for assistance. For a family
of four the annual income must be at or below $43,050.
Ohioans enrolled in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus Program (PIPP Plus) are not
eligible for bill payment assistance through the program, but are encouraged to work with
Jackson-Vinton Community Action to identify other opportunities for assistance.
For more information about the features of the Summer Crisis Program locally, contact Pamela
Pittenger at 740-384-3722 extension 40 Additional information can also be found at
www.energyhelp.ohio.gov or by calling (800) 282-0880 or visit our website at www.jvcai.org .
Jackson-Vinton Community Action, Inc. is An Equal Opportunity Employer/Provider of Services
118 S. New York Avenue Wellston, Ohio 45692