The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), commonly called “Fuel Assistance” has announced a change to its guidelines. The income limit for fuel assistance was just raised to 60% of state median income, or $27,876 for one person and $36,454 for a couple. This means that to be eligible for fuel assistance, your household's gross income must be less than or equal to 60% of the estimated state median income for your household size. To find out if you qualify, you can take the Eligibility Check.
You should be aware that the new fuel assistance brochures which you might have received from SCES or another resource have the outdated figures in them because they were printed before the new guidelines were established.
The standards are higher than in the recent brochure.
For more detailed information (in English, Spanish and Portuguese), please visit: http://www.massresources.org/ or call 1-800-632-8175.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Meals-On-Wheels Program Needs Your Help!
This holiday season you can give a gift that will make a real difference in the life of an older person in Somerville or Cambridge. Your donation to the Meals-On-Wheels program at Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) will help to ensure that every older person who needs a meal can get one. This year the number of meals we serve through this program has risen by 10 percent, and yet funding is stagnant as we all face cutbacks in these hard economic times.
Each weekday, over 600 homebound older people in our community rely on us to provide a hot, nutritious lunch delivered to their doorstep. Bag suppers and frozen meals are also provided for those who cannot prepare an evening or weekend meal.
The Meals-On-Wheels Program provides more than just food. It offers an important opportunity for contact with the outside world. For many older people, the meal delivery provides the only chance of the day to talk with another person. It also offers an important safety check. Each year Meals-On-Wheels drivers are responsible for saving a number of older people in distress. This December, SCES will make sure that our most vulnerable neighbors are not neglected, by personally delivering festive holiday bags filled with groceries, fruit, and a holiday card.
However, SCES needs your help to carry on our work. Limited government funding makes it difficult to meet the demand for Meals-On-Wheels. A $15 donation will purchase three meals for a person in need. A gift of $25 will help SCES deliver 5 meals. A $50 donation will purchase 10 meals, and $100 will provide 20 meals!
Please make checks payable to Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services and mail to Meals-On-Wheels Appeal, Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services, 61 Medford Street, Somerville, MA 02143. For more information, call (617) 628-2601 ext. 3201 or visit http://www.eldercare.org/ and donate on-line. SCES is a private, not-for-profit agency.
Each weekday, over 600 homebound older people in our community rely on us to provide a hot, nutritious lunch delivered to their doorstep. Bag suppers and frozen meals are also provided for those who cannot prepare an evening or weekend meal.
The Meals-On-Wheels Program provides more than just food. It offers an important opportunity for contact with the outside world. For many older people, the meal delivery provides the only chance of the day to talk with another person. It also offers an important safety check. Each year Meals-On-Wheels drivers are responsible for saving a number of older people in distress. This December, SCES will make sure that our most vulnerable neighbors are not neglected, by personally delivering festive holiday bags filled with groceries, fruit, and a holiday card.
However, SCES needs your help to carry on our work. Limited government funding makes it difficult to meet the demand for Meals-On-Wheels. A $15 donation will purchase three meals for a person in need. A gift of $25 will help SCES deliver 5 meals. A $50 donation will purchase 10 meals, and $100 will provide 20 meals!
Please make checks payable to Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services and mail to Meals-On-Wheels Appeal, Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services, 61 Medford Street, Somerville, MA 02143. For more information, call (617) 628-2601 ext. 3201 or visit http://www.eldercare.org/ and donate on-line. SCES is a private, not-for-profit agency.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Unique Program Offered for People with Chronic Diseases
Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services, in cooperation with the Somerville Council on Aging, is offering a six-week program entitled, “Healthy Living with Chronic Conditions”. The program which was developed by the Stanford University School of Medicine, offers individuals living with arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s, and other chronic conditions to learn strategies to more effectively manage symptoms and improve quality of life. The program is open to adults of all ages. Instructors explore techniques to deal with frustration, fatigue, pain and isolation; teach exercises for maintaining and improving strength, flexibility and endurance; explain appropriate use of medications; and, offer effective communication techniques to use with health professionals, family, and friends.
The meetings will be held on the following Mondays: December 15th, 22nd, 29th;January 5th, 12th; February 2nd (skipping January 19th and 26th), 1:30 to 4:00 PM. They will take place at Somerville Council on Aging, 167 Holland Street, Somerville, MA 02144. Enrollment is limited and pre-registration is required: call Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (617) 628-2601 ext. 3151.
The meetings will be held on the following Mondays: December 15th, 22nd, 29th;January 5th, 12th; February 2nd (skipping January 19th and 26th), 1:30 to 4:00 PM. They will take place at Somerville Council on Aging, 167 Holland Street, Somerville, MA 02144. Enrollment is limited and pre-registration is required: call Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (617) 628-2601 ext. 3151.
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