JM Innovations



Nebraska Ag News Headlines
DHHS Offers Fans, Bill Payment Assistance During Summer Heat
Nebraska Ag Connection - 06/19/2018

Usually, the thought of summer conjures up images of children playing in community pools, vacation travel, outdoor fun, longer days to engage in the aforementioned "fun" and, of course, lots of sunshine. But for many, all of that extra sunshine is also cause for some serious health concerns. Every summer, hundreds of Nebraska's elderly and disabled succumb to heat-related emergencies. Natural sun leads to warmer indoor temperatures and extended time outdoors can lead to overexposure. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), through its Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), is once again doing its part to combat the heat by providing fans and electric bill-payment assistance. Through the LIHEAP fan distribution program, DHHS helps deter heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heat stroke, and offers vital relief to the elderly and adults with disabilities who might be in need of a more comfortable environment.

"Summer heat can pose a problem for anyone. Everyone, including the young, old, those who lead sedentary lifestyles and even athletes, can fall prey to heat-related illness or death," said Dr. Courtney Phillips, CEO of DHHS. "It's important to pay attention to your body. Basic ways to prevent heat-related illness include keeping hydrated, even when you may not feel thirsty, and staying cool as temperatures continue to climb. The LIHEAP fan-distribution program helps address the latter issue. Last year, partner organizations distributed more than 7,228 fans across the state. We expect to serve just as many people, if not more this year."

Fans were purchased with funds from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families. Nebraska DHHS administers the funds and local organizations aid with distribution. This year, DHHS has partnered with thirty-two organizations in 24 Nebraska counties to distribute thousands of fans to needy citizens.

Michelle Martinez is director of Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties, one of the organizations participating in the cooling-fan distribution program. Said Martinez, "Home energy costs can be particularly burdensome for low-income families in the hot summer months. Through this program, we are fortunate to be able to distribute fans to our participants, which assists them in keeping their homes cool and energy costs down."

Eligibility for services is determined by the organizations that distribute the fans. Persons seeking a fan should call the telephone number of the organization nearest them for more information.

Persons in receipt of a utility shutoff notice may be eligible for a one-time crisis payment, through the DHHS Cooling Assistance program. Applications can be requested online at http://www.ACCESSNebraska.ne.gov, or by calling 1-800-383-4278.

Generally, to qualify for the Cooling Assistance program, a person of 70 years of age or older must live in the household, or the in receiving ADC with a child five years of age or younger, or who is more susceptible to heat because of their medical condition.

More information can be found at: http://dhhs.ne.gov/EnergyAssistance.


Other Nebraska Headlines
Sturdy-Built Mfg.
Kelly Manufacturing
Copyright © 2024 - Farms.com. All Rights Reserved.