Posted July 1st, 2009
Over the next few months, LEADS website will be renovated to bring you more information about the agency and its programs. We will also give you a glimpse into the lives that are being impacted because of LEADS committment to finding real solutions to help individuals and communities.
The President’s Economic Stimulus Plan will benefit LEADS tremendously with an increase in funding and programs to help more people with expanded income guidelines, as well as job creation. The Weatherization program will be expanding as well as Head Start. As information becomes available we will post it on this site. Be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed so you can keep on top of all the exciting information going on at LEADS.
LEADS is for everyone. Help us get the news out to help your family, neighbors and friends – putting your community in action!
Posted July 1st, 2009
Did you know an estimated one in ten residential utility consumers in Ohio were cut off from gas or electric services in the past year because they didn’t pay their bills?
Everyone knows someone who has struggled to pay utility bills at some point in their lives. If you or someone you know is struggling with bills, tell them about the LEADS Summer Crisis Program, created to help Licking County families who’re in need of assistance with paying their utility bills.
The LEADS Community Action Agency’s Summer Crisis Program offers financial aid to county residents for their electric bills or cooling costs this summer. The program helps families with an annual income at or below 175 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. This aid is available to consumers through a one-time payment of up to $175 toward their electric bill.
In addition to meeting income guidelines, to qualify households must have a member who is at least sixty years of age or older, or under the age of 60 with verifiable health issues.
The LEADS Summer Crisis Program is available from July 1st through August 31, 2009. For additional information on the program including details on how to apply for assistance, contact Mary Hawk, energy coordinator, LEADS Community Action Agency at 1-740-345-3133.
Utility consumers can use the following chart to determine whether or not they qualify for assistance:
| Size of household |
Total Annual Income |
Total household income for past three months |
| 1 |
$18,952.50 |
$4,738.13 |
| 2 |
$25,497.50 |
$6,374.38 |
| 3 |
$32,042.50 |
$8,010.63 |
| 4 |
$38,587.50 |
$9,646.88 |
| 5 |
$45,132.50 |
$11,283.13 |
| 6 |
$51,677.50 |
$12,919.38 |
Posted May 15th, 2009
Danny Faller, LEADS employee and crew leader, removes the ceiling above the porch to gain access to voids between the second floor and an enclosed “shed” roof. (Michael Lehmkuhle, The Advocate)
LEADS is set to receive $2.3 million over the next 2 years in stimulus funds to expand weatherization and energy efficiency programs. The program will help over 200 families and individuals, as well as create jobs in Licking County.
The goal of LEADS Community Action Agency is to provide people with hope to improve their economic situation. The struggles of poverty on a family and the elderly can be devastating — it is hard to seek to improve your life when you are worried about not being able to afford heat, clothing, or food. The weatherization program at LEADS, as well as LEADS Head Start preschool program, home repair, affordable housing, food banks and clothes closets, seeks to help people improve their lives by giving them support, hope and meeting basic needs such as a safe place to live. LEADS empowers people not to stay in the cycle of poverty, but the motivation to get out of it, and in turn help others. Community Action is about alleviating the effects of poverty to better individuals, families and the entire community.
In today’s economic storm, LEADS can offer a hand up to help people get back on their feet.
From the Newark Advocate:
What LEADS customer had to say:
“I was surprised when they told me I could be eligible for a whole new furnace,” said Denna Lane, of Newark. “Last year, I almost lost my home. I couldn’t afford a new furnace.”
What LEADS new weatherization employee had to say:
Mike Hayes, a local resident and a recent hire, said he has worked in the heating and cooling industry for more than a decade but was unemployed when he got the job at LEADS.
“I was laid off from several jobs last year because there just wasn’t enough work,” he said.
But since he began his new job, the benefits and stability it affords has built him up, he said.
Posted April 15th, 2009
In partnership with LEADS Community Action Agency, Columbia Gas contributed $30,881 to help more Licking County residents who need assistance in paying their gas bill due to the state of the economy.
To take advantage of this opportunity, follow these easy steps:
1. Check the income guidelines — click here. You must fall between 175% and 200% of federal income guidelines for Columbia Gas Fuel Fund program. For example, assistance is available for families making as much as $51,580 for a family of five. There is a one-time benefit for Columbia Gas customers of up to $250 while funding lasts. You do not need a termination notice.
2. Call Mary Hawk at LEADS Community Action Agency, 740-345-3133 to schedule an appointment — no waiting in line for assistance.
3. Fill out simple paperwork, and you are on your way.
So, what is LEADS Community Action — it is a nonprofit organization providing programs that respond to the needs in the community. LEADS is for everyone. Programs include: weatherization, home repair, head start pre-school, housing, neighborhood community centers providing food pantries, programs for seniors, and opportunities for people to come together and help each other.
Know someone who can benefit from this program — tell them about LEADS!