To get warm, fill out the application correctly
Cold but can’t afford to buy pellets or wood, or not enough money to pay the gas bill and eat in the same month? There is help available. The Inyo-Mono Advocates for Community Action (IMACA) offers emergency bill paying that can keep the lights and gas on or put wood in the fireplace; home weatherization and other winter heating needs.
Mono County has a history of not taking advantage of IMACA’s help, according to Chad Mitchell, Energy Services Program Manager for IMACA. He moved his office from Bishop to Mammoth to raise awareness of the program when he found how under-utilized it is in Mono County. He said that since his move, there has been a significant increase in the number of people seeking assistance. There are no numbers available yet, as the program is just getting underway for the season.
The program is funded by the state, with both counties receiving about $460,000. Mitchell said there is no danger of the program running out of money. The trouble is getting people to apply correctly.
Mitchell explained that the primary reason people get turned away is for not filling out the application completely or reading all the requirements. If any part of the application is not complete or there’s a mistake, the application is denied. But that does not mean the applicant is denied for the season, rather that a complete application is needed. Mitchell said there has never been an applicant refused service in Mono County if the application is filled out correctly and the person qualifies financially.
For community members and workers who are in the country illegally, Mitchell explained that if a person does not have a Social Security number, two forms of identification with photos issued in the United States can substitute. The ID can be membership card to Macy’s or a gym, just as long as it has a photo and is issued in the states; nowhere else will do.
The applications are processed as fast as Mitchell can go through them. He said the process takes a week or two.
For emergency energy assistance, like keeping the lights on after a 24-hour notice from the utility company, things can move very quickly or very slow depending on the company. Mitchell said the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is easy to work with and will stop a disconnect notice immediately after a call from IMACA and guarantee the bill will be paid.
Southern California Edison is more difficult, not allowing IMACA information about an account because it may be a violation of privacy.
The program works and has kept people from being cold, kept the lights in homes, fixed drafty windows for energy and heating efficiency. Mitchell told the story of one woman in Mammoth on a fixed income who had not purchased propane in 15 years, because she didn’t think she could afford it. IMACA stepped in and the woman is reportedly happy and very warm.
For more information on the program, what’s available or for an application, go to IMACA’s Mammoth Lakes office at 625 Old Mammoth Road, call 760.934.3343, or go to imaca.net.
