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Friday, December 13, 2024
HomeCommunityAEOA offers Energy Assistance & other Services to Area Residents

AEOA offers Energy Assistance & other Services to Area Residents

With the approach of win­ter, it is important for people to know where to turn if they find themselves needing help with the expense of heating their homes. The Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agen­cy (AEOA) offers a wide va­riety of services to support folks who may be having trou­ble making ends meet as we continue to recover from the economic fallout of the Covid pandemic. AEOA’s Energy Assistance Program provides financial grants that can be used to help cover the costs of residential heating bills for both homeowners and renters. Additional funds are available for energy related repairs and to help with crisis situations.

The Energy Assistance grants range from $200 to $1400, and are based on household size, income and fuel cost. Assets, such as the value of your home are not considered in determin­ing eligibility.

There are monthly income guidelines that AEOA staff consider when giving out grants. A household consisting of one person cannot have a monthly income above $2,983. The monthly incomes for two, three and four person house­holds are $3,901, $4,819 and $5,737, respectively.

Information on the AEOA website encourages people to contact them if they have re­ceived an energy shut-off no­tice or their service has been disconnected, if their fuel tank is at less than 20% and their fuel company requires payment to deliver fuel or If someone in their household is 60 or older and needs help pay­ing energy bills. Households where the heating system is not working are encouraged to contact AEOA prior to contact­ing a furnace repair company.

The Energy Assistance Pro­gram is available to people living in St. Louis, Cook, Lake Counties, The Grand Portage Reservation and the city of Du­luth. The application process is pretty straight forward and can be made online at Aeoa.org.

The mission of AEOA is to strengthen communities by providing opportunities for people experiencing social and economic challenges. The Agency also offers help with food access, senior/nutritional services, weatherization, MN­SURE and other services. Visit AEOC online or call 218-749-2912 or 1-800-662-5711.

Rick Evans
Rick Evans
My wife, Marsha Kinzer (a proud DEHS Greyhound, class of ‘77) introduced me to the North Shore on vacation in 2012. It became our regular escape when the stress of our careers in education became overwhelming, and it didn’t take me long to fall in love with the breathtaking scenery, the nice people, and “salad” containing Jell-o and marshmallows. So you can either blame or thank my loving wife for my being here, because when we needed to choose a retirement hometown, Marsha advocated hard for her beloved Duluth, and here we are, six months later. Yes, this will be my first northern Minnesota winter. Yes, I welcome thoughts and prayers. Government, public policy, and social justice weighed heavily in the curriculums I taught at the high school level over a thirty-eight year career. In addition, we were a laboratory school focused on critical thinking in conjunction with technical and scientific writing. So when I found myself adrift on the great ocean of retirement and spied a raft, I jumped at the chance to take up what I’d left behind…minus the bad teachers’ lounge coffee. My position at the NSJ allows me to combine my passions for government and writing, and it’s helping me to feel less out of touch in new surroundings. When I’m not being “Cubby” (Marsha’s favorite new nickname for this green reporter) I enjoy pointing at eagles and saying, “Look, honey. There’s an eagle.” I’ve had an active side hustle as a professional musician for almost as many years as Charlie Parr. As a guitarist/singer/songwriter, I graced the stages of clubs and festivals around southern Wisconsin, including an appearance on A Prairie Home Companion. Should I even mention A Prairie Home Companion, or am I the only one here old enough to remember what that is? Look! An eagle!
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