ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM
OUTREACH is pleased to introduce its newly funded Energy Conservation Education & Collaboration Project (Energy Project for short). This program is designed to provide badly needed help to low-income and at-risk seniors so they can survive and cope with the energy crisis.
We've all heard stories about
how many of our community's low-income and frail seniors are being
forced, because of the skyrocketing price for energy, to make
difficult decisions between paying their energy bills and buying
food or badly needed medicine.
This plan is meant to help them.
OUTREACH's Senior Program Case
Managers will go out into the community to senior housing complexes,
community centers, senior medical care facilities, faith-based
organizations, and the homes of the frail homebound elderly to
connect with those in need of energy financial assistance and
conservation support. They will sit down with
senior citizens to assess their energy problems and needs one-on-one.
Case Managers will provide information and guidance directly to
seniors regarding what services and programs are available to
them and how to best get those services, as well as how to enroll
in those programs. In addition, they will assist seniors in completing
financial aid applications and in completing forms for enrollment
in energy assistance programs.
Our Senior Program staff will
also conduct energy conservation classes that teach seniors how
to reduce their daily use of energy, as well as connect seniors
with valuable products and useful electrical devices that can
help them reduce their consumption
of energy and help them maintain their energy service. Finally,
seniors will be taught how they can effectively and safely survive
a rolling energy blackout.
In addition, OUTREACH's transportation
clients will receive useful information regarding conservation
help and financial energy assistance. Customers calling our Customer
Service Department will be told about our Energy Project. OUTREACH
will collect energy-related data and act as a community-wide clearinghouse
for information and resources. Various community stakeholders
will be brought together in Energy Summits
and in Client Advisory Committee meetings to share information,
ideas, best practices, and to plan action to help alleviate the
impact of the energy crisis on low-income and at-risk seniors.
A new network, built by OUTREACH, of energy-related service and
assistance providers will be created that can be used by the entire
community.
One of the Energy Project's goals is for at-risk seniors to feel that they have been empowered with a knowledge and understanding of energy conservation so they know what steps to take in their daily lives to conserve energy without jeopardizing their health and well-being. We also anticipate that at-risk seniors will also feel empowered to seek effective financial assistance and reduce the stress they are feeling when forced to choose between food and medicine or paying their utility bills. Finally, we endeavor to see that at-risk seniors will have the skills they need to obtain and use tools, products and services to incorporate effective energy conservation into their everyday lives once they have been given access to energy saving tools, equipment and techniques.
For more information regarding OUTREACH's Energy
Project, please call our main line at
(408) 436-2865 and ask for the Energy Project Help Desk.