Free Refrigerators for Low Income Toledoans

If you are looking for energy cutting deals, the place to start is your local energy provider. They often do free or low cost energy audits, and may get you started with low cost energy saving bulbs or weatherproofing strips, for instance.

 

In Toledo, NeighborWorks, a local nonprofit providing help in housing and weatherization, is teaming up with First Energy to provide free Energy Star refrigerators to low income Toledo residents with energy sucking fridges. If you meet the income limits, they will test your refrigerator. If it uses three or more kilowatts over two hours, you can get a new refrigerator.

 

Those income levels are 200% of the poverty level--about $23,000 for a household of one,  $48,500 for a family of four. This is a limited offer. For more information, call NeighborWorks at 419 6912900.

 

Historic Home Preservation Loans in Toledo, Cleveland Dirt Cheap

The Lucas County Land Bank, created to keep neighborhoods from sinking under the weight of delinquent and abandoned properties, has grown and flourished. Current programs include grants for new roofs for low-income homeowners (only through June 2015), chance to get side lots, land for gardens, and their newest cool thing.

The Heritage Home Program gives low-cost loans to homeowners with historic homes to restore their homes along historically appropriate lines. That means no aluminum siding and other stuff that messes up historic authenticity, but free consultation with experts, recommendations to qualified contractors, and loans as low as 3.5%.

In Cleveland, the Heritage Home Program offers similar help to owners of historic residences in the metropolitan Cleveland area. They offer help with consultants, low-cost loans, and even purchasing. If you love historic homes in these two towns, they awe worth a look.  If you live elsewhere, contact your local preservation society to find out if there is a similar organization near you.

Tis the Season. Christmas Assistance in Toledo, 2014

Once again, it's nearly time to apply for Christmas assistance wherever you live in the country. In Toledo, the Salvation Army will start taking applications in person on October 6th at their office on Erie Street.  For more information, see their website.

In Detroit, the Goodfellows are already accepting applications for Detroit, Highland Park, River Rouge, and Harper Woods, per their website: https://www.detroitgoodfellows.org/application.html. 

 

New Program for Heating Help in Toledo, and Links for Heating Assistance All Over the Country

In this hard winter, Columbia Gas has created another source of financial assistance for customers in northwest Ohio who have exhausted all their other resources.  It's a one-time payment program to help defray winter bills.  The Columbia Fuel Fund is for people within 200% of the poverty level (the state eligibility for HEAP assistance is 175% of the poverty level). For more information, call the Customer Contact Center at 1-800-344-4077. 

Most people are familiar with state government programs (financed by the federal government), and sometimes nonprofit charity programs.  But utilities are themselves a source for funding, and often have payment plans to average out payments over the cost of the year.  For the most complete list of aid, go to the liheap state clearinghouse and choose your state.  Even so, if you are having trouble making your heating bill, contact your energy provider and ask if they have or know of any programs.  Also, here's a listing of state policies and laws on energy cutoff.

Toledo Free Christmas Meals 2013

The Toledo Catholic Diocese finally came up with their list of free holiday meals for 2013. In the Cleveland and northeast Ohio area, there is this list of free Christmas meals.  For sites of meals near you, try 211 in your area, or check the 211 website under the heading "Holiday Meals."

Where to Donate Toys in Toledo, and How to Hook Up With Toys for Poor Children

Checking our stats, we see that people are still looking for help for Christmas, but also that they are looking for places to drop off toys for children.  The Toledo Blade had a nice roundup of where to drop off toys at this late date. 

Also, here's how to find dropoff spots for Toys for Tots, the U.S. Marine's program. Toledo's local Hope for the Holidays is still taking toys till December 20th. 

But what if you are in need?  In Toledo, call 211 to be put in touch with groups that might still be taking applications.  If you live in another area with a 211 information and referral service, try calling them.  Also try the Salvation Army, which is the Christmas Clearinghouse for a lot of communities.  Try your local church, which may be running a program or know of who is.  If you live in Detroit, check out this great listing from Julie's List.  Here's hoping next year is brighter for you.

Free Financial Coaching All Over Lucas County Ohio and Other Places

A couple of years ago, we wrote about the opening of the Financial Opportunity Center in the Lagrange area of Toledo.  It made one-on-one financial coaching available to everybody in the zip codes of 43604, 43608, and 43611.  In the time since, the United Way and several institutions in Lucas County began working together to make those services available to everybody in the county, regardless of income.  Coaches work one-on-one with people to figure out ways to reach a person's own financial goals.

Where do you go for this service?  If you don't live in the zip codes above, here are two other places that you can contact for free personal financial coaching:

Crossroads Family Resource Center
4543 Douglas Road, Toledo, Ohio 43613
419.475.3258

East Toledo Family Center
1020 Varland Ave.
Toledo, OH 43605
Phone: 419.691.1429

If you don't live in Toledo, you might be interested in other cities where LISC (Local  Initiatives Support Corporation) has worked with local organizations to help create financial opportunity centers as they did in Toledo.  There are centers in 25 cities altogether.  Besides Toledo, they have FOCs in: Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati/Covington (KY), Detroit, Duluth (MN), Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek (MI), Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Newark (NJ), Oakland/Richmond/San Jose (CA), Philadelphia, Providence/Woonsocket, San Diego.  To find the FOCs, use this directory of LISC local offices that you can contact and put you in touch with the community partner running the FOC.

Energy Incentive Programs: Information Dump

Last month, I was asked to speak before a Toledo Rotary Club group, and the topic I chose was energy-saving incentive programs.  Ask stated a million times on this blog, to find out how to get or save cash, simply figure out what the government wants people to do.  And they want us to save energy in a big way.  So here's the handout I gave the Rotarians:

Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiencies -- www.dsireusa.org. A nationwide listing of state and local energy reduction incentives.

Home Weatherization -- http://www.nhstoledo.org/weatherization-services/ Tune-up, repair and insulation for homeowners within 200% of poverty level in Lucas County.  Community action agencies administer this throughout the state.

Ecolink.  Ohio State Treasurer’s Office -- http://ohiotreasurer.gov/ecolink.  A linked deposit program that can lower a homeowner’s cost of borrowing for energy improvements by 3%.

ReEnergize Ohio-- http://ohiotreasurer.gov/ReEnergizeOhio. A linked deposit program that can reduce a business owner’s cost of borrowing for energy improvements by 3%.

Energy Loan Fund.  Ohio Development Services Agency -- http://development.ohio.gov/bs/bs_energyloanfund.htm.  An Ohio state fund for lower-cost energy loans for business.  Must create energy savings of at least 15%, in Ohio-based businesses of less than 150 employees.

First Energy’s Residential Rebates -- https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content/customer/save_energy/save_energy_ohio.html.  Rebates available for turning in older, less energy efficient appliances from First Energy of Ohio.

Nationwide List of Energy Rebates -- http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=rebate.rebate_locator.

Rural Energy for America Program -- http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_Reap.html. Grants and loans for the development of biomass and renewable energy projects in rural areas.

Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency -- http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index.

Better Building Program:

For businesses -- http://www.toledoportauthority.org/Programs/BetterBuildingsNWO.aspx.

For homeowners -- https://www.columbiagasohio.com/residential/save-energy-money!/home-performance-solutions. 

Notice that many of these--but not all--are local and state.  Also, many are for business.  They include (mostly) plans for cheaper loans, or tax incentives, rather than outright giveaways, and some have been mentioned before in other entries on energy efficiency.  

But there are some worth pointing out--the Rural Energy for America Program, which gives grants and loans for biomass and renewable energy programs across rural America, and the nationwide list of energy rebates. There's also www.dsireusa.org, which has state and federal tax incentives.  Not all of them have been phased out by the feds, and some can still be cashed in on.  For nationwide information and local partners to the Better Buildings Initative, see more here.

 

Holiday Assistance for 2013 in Toledo, Detroit and How to Look Elsewhere

The Salvation Army for northwest Ohio has already announced the dates and times at which people in Lucas, Wood and Ottawa county can apply for holiday assistance for 2013.  People in the know are aware that the time to think about holiday assistance is now--many agencies that function as "Christmas clearinghouses" gear up in the early fall.  Of course, Julie's List for southeast Michigan and metro Detroit has a holiday help listing that really shows how it's done.

So you may want to start identifying the Christmas clearinghouse agency in your town. That's the agency that coordinates holiday gift and toy services, so that they are spread around equitably. If your community has 211 services, you might want to start asking there.    Another good place to start asking is the local Salvation Army   They might not be the clearinghouse for your town, but they will know who is.  The Toys for Tots Foundation has a searchable database that lets you put in your zip code to tell you where to apply in or near your town. 

Financial Help to Make Your House or Business More Energy Efficient

The U.S. Department of Energy has a program available in several states and cities called the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program.  It has the goal of improving the energy efficiency of over 100,000 homes, and has partners such as power companies and community development agencies across the U.S. to bring energy efficiency to home and business owners in various ways: by performing free or low-cost energy assessments in building, offering rebates for more energy-efficient improvements and appliances, and low-cost loans to purchase more efficient equipment.

However, while the seed funding came through the DOE, the money went through competitive grants to local groups with the most competitive plans, so it's not available all over the country.  To find out if it's available in your area, check this directory of Better Buildings local programs.  You will find each program with different partners, and different ways to help home and business owners improve the energy efficiency of their buildings.  In Toledo and northwest Ohio, the main partner is the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.  They work with business owners to assess buildings and offer low-cost loans for improvements.  For homeowners, they partner with Columbia Gas who does energy assessments and has information on rebates and other incentives.  Better Buildings as partnerships in 31 states and the Virgin Islands.

Soup's On...Again. Toledo Soup is Requesting Applications (deadline extended to August 5th)

It's been awhile since Toledo Soup has hosted an event.  The last one was a year ago.  But they are accepting applications for their microgrants once again, and the deadline is August 5th at 5 p.m. 

So what is this, exactly?  It's a chance for a group or person--either non or for-profit--to get a minigrant.  If your application is vetted and chosen, you will be invited to make your case for the money to a group of Toledoans who have paid $5 for soup, bread, and a chance to vote on one of the projects.  Whoever gets the most votes from the soup-eating audience gets whatever money was raised by the $5 fee.  This third event will be held on September 8, 2013 at the Toledo School for the Arts from 5-9 p.m.  The second winner, crowned last fall, was Art Around Town, and the first was Toledo Pedicabs.

We've written about the worldwide Soup Movement before.  It was started to provide a democratic way to give small amounts of money to worthy causes without a lot of red tape and IRS approval.  In that way, has a resemblance to the Awesome Foundation, a movement of "giving circles" around the world.  Most of the worldwide events were created to support art projects, but Toledo's event is wide-open to anyone with a great idea that could get a boost from $500 to $1000 in cash.  If you have such an idea and live in northwest Ohio, check it out. 

Six Month Paid Work Training Program for Young High School Dropouts--Youthbuild

There's a nationwide program for young, (18-24 year old) unemployed high school dropouts to do building in low-income neighborhoods for a stipend (pay), and gain job skills and toward the completion of the GED.  It's Youthbuild, and it's a private program run at the local level across the United States. 

Here's how it works: you work on building projects in low-income neighborhoods while gaining construction work skills, but also work on career planning and GED completion. There are nearly 300 local programs across the country.   Here's the map to find the location near you.  The Toledo, Ohio site is odd, in that it's run by WSOS, the community action agency in Fremont, but to be eligible to join, you must be a Lucas County resident.  The WSOS local program runs for six months.  You  have to be a high school dropout and unemployed, and a priority is given to residents of the United North neighborhood in north Toledo. In other places, the requirements may vary.  If you are a young person, check it out near you.

Check Your Energy Company for Free Energy Kits

When I was a child and dinosaurs roamed the earth, Detroit Edison used to give away free light bulbs in an effort to make it even easier to use their product.  Now that I'm grown and pretty old, energy companies are giving away energy saving devices--not endlessly, but one to a customer.  Your energy company may be giving away stuff, too, especially if you are willing to submit to an energy audit, or some information on how you spend your energy.

First Energy Corporation, which includes Toledo Edison, the Illuminating Company and Ohio Edison, is offering a no-(extra) cost energy kit for each of its customers that includes nine compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), a smart strip/surge protector, a furnace filter whistle, and two LED night lights.  Energy Trust of Oregon, which includes Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural and Cascade Natural Gas, gives away kits with unspecified power-saving goodies.

My childhood power company, now DTE Energy, has a custom-made pack of free devices for you once you share your "power use style" that you can request by filling out the profile on this page.   If you are a customer of Duke Energy, you can get an energy audit on your home that would entitle you to a free kit including compact fluorescent light bulbs.  San Diego Gas and Electric has a free energy kit that is all about the water energy saving, with three faucet aerators and a low-flow showerhead.

Check with your energy company to see if they have a program for residential users.

Summer Feeding Programs in Toledo 2013 and Elsewhere

Feed Lucas County Children has announced the where and whens of its 2013 summer feeding program in Lucas County.   It's meant to be a summer stand-in for the school lunch program for low-income young people.  For more information or to find your nearest site, call 419-720-1106. 

Also, Toledo Public Schools will offer what the Toledo Blade called a "hodgepodge" of programs through the school district.  Many of their summer learning programs will include a free lunch.  It includes enrichment programs, high school programs to make up credit (not a free program), and other learning opportunities.  However, there will also be feeding programs for all children at East Broadway, Larchmont, Marshall, Sherman and Westfield Elementary Schools and Bowsher, Rogers, Scott, Start, Waite and Woodward High Schools.  For more information, call 211.

If you live outside Toledo, remember that the federal government funds summer feeding programs throughout the country, though the federal funding sequester is cutting in.  To find a program near you, call 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (for Spanish speakers), or check this interactive site. 

Free Day Camp in Toledo 2013. And in NY State, A Special Free Day Camp for Kids with Cancer

The wonderful organization Feed Lucas County Children, is repeating its day camp for kids grade 1-6 in 2013.  It will run from June 17th till the end of July at Knight Academy, 110 Arco Drive, from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m.  For more information, contact FLCC at (419) 259-9960.

In New York state, a special free day camp is being run for children with cancer and their sibs.  It's for kids in the New York city area, run the by Sunrise Day Camp.  New this year is a camp at Pearl River.  For more information, contact Leah Spindell at 516-634-4199. 

 

Free/Cheap Dresses for the Prom--the 2013 Season has Started!

Because of the mechanical problems that happen when cups of tea collide with keyboards, I've been offline for a couple of days.  However, it seems the 2013 prom dress season has begun, at least in Toledo.  Prom for Paws, the annual fundraiser for Toledo's Planned Pethood, will hold a sale of donated prom dresses--none above $25--to benefit Planned Pethood, a nonprofit that provides spaying and neutering to dogs and cats in the metro area.  The sale is at Salvatore Capelli Salon, 114 S. Boundary Street in Perrysburg from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 2nd.

*****pdate for Toledo and northwest Ohio************
The northwest Ohio low-cost prom dress event of the year is Owens College's, and parents and students will have their crack at gowns going from $5 to $20, and accessories from 50 cents to $5 on April 6th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Student Health and Activities Center.  For more information, call  (800) GO-OWENS, ext. 2569.

Outside of Toledo, the national network of volunteers involved with Cinderella's Closet has begun to roll out its schedule of prom dress sales.  There's also the Princess Project in California.  In Ankeny, Iowa, there will be a prom dress giveaway on March 4-8 from 4 to 7 p.m. via Project Fresh Start at Arkeny High School.    Lone Star College is sponsoring a prom gown giveaway at the CyFair Branch Library on March 15-17th, and April 19th and 20th in Cypress, Texas.  Call Elise at 281-290-5248 for more information.  And for prom dress giveaways in New York City, Dutchess County, New York, Atlanta and Baconton, Georgia, see the website here, for graduating seniors only.

****Update from Detroit:

The fourth annual Deja vu Prom Dress Resale will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday Feb. 23, Sunday Feb. 24, Saturday March 2, Sunday March 3, at Grosse Ile Golf and Country Club, 9339 Bellevue Rd., Grosse Ile, Mich.

A Detroit event on April 14th: https://www.facebook.com/#!/permalink.php?story_fbid=509009009167029&id=128098500591417

 


 

Low-Cost Help for Fixing Your Car

One of the toughest parts of keeping your financial head above water is keeping a running automobile.  It can be the difference between keeping or losing a job.  Coincidentally, I found some sources for help in the last couple of weeks--some in Toledo, and some in the rest of the country.

In Toledo, if you are low-income and have children and your car needs repairs to keep your job, the Department of Jobs and Family Services may help through their Prevention, Retention and Contingency Program, designed to help low-income people jump the small-fund hurdles to keeping a job and being self-sufficient.  Call them at 419-213-8900.  Also, The Toledo Area Ministries may help with car repair, but you have to be referred from your local church.  If you don't have a church you regularly attend, see your neighborhood church and ask if they will make a referral.

Outside of Toledo, I found out about an organization called Ways to Work. They work through local organizations to fund low-interest, short-term loans to get cars repaired.  They have a particular focus on providing loans for families with children. See this website to find out if your local area has a WTW program.  You can only apply for a loan through their local affiliates.  They seem to have the most local outlets through the northeast, south and midwest, although there are some on the west coast.

Another Place or Two to Find Microfinancing for Americans

Microfinancing--the loaning or granting of very small sums of money for business or personal finance--has been hard to catch on in this country.  We've had a few posts on this blog dealing with potential sources, and this week we found a couple more places to search.

One was right in central city Toledo, Lifeline Toledo.  It's a central city ministry that collaborates with other groups working for the empowerment of people in Toledo, like Food for Thought and the Neighborhood Health Association.  They operate the Mobile Medical Unit that goes through neighborhoods helping the medically underserved.  Among its other ministries, it also offers a microloan program-- in amounts ranging from $50 to about $500--for very small business start ups and needs.  While the website does not outline the application procedures in detail, they are available upon request.

On a national scale., the Association for Enterprise Opportunity now has a search engine to help identify their member organizations in your community.  Organizations in the AEO provide different types of support for very small businesses, including (sometimes) microfinancing.
 

Free Spaying and Neutering in Various Locations Across the U.S.

While meeting for a card game with a colleague, she excitedly told me about a speaker at her branch library from Humane Ohio, a low-cost pet spay and neuter organization in Toledo, Ohio.  Apparently, the speaker's animal welfare evangelism was contagious, and she got caught up in it.  Now she was spreading his word that Humane Ohio had a new program--totally FREE spaying and neutering for feral (free roaming) cats in the 43609 and 43605 zip codes in Toledo. That is, as long as the grant money holds out.

I've written before about low-cost programs for animal care but mostly with an eye towards reducing costs.  But if the need for animal control in a particular community is great--and they can find grant money to pick up the costs--some programs are picking up all the costs for spaying and neutering for needy clients.  In Toledo, the cat overpopulation program in those zip codes made them a target for Humane Ohio.  But there are programs available in other cities, too.

In Los Angeles, the Animal Services office offers free spaying and neutering for dogs and cats owned by disabled and elderly low-income citizens if you qualify  In Maricopa County Arizona (which includes the city of Phoenix), the county Animal Care and Control Office has a set amount of vouchers for free dog and cat spaying and neutering each month for which you can apply. 

In New York City, the Mayor's Alliance for New York City Animals has, among its low-cost programs, a free spay, neuter and vasectomy program for pit bulls (that vasectomy thing is a new one on me.  All the population control, none of the loss of hormones).  In Manatee County Florida, there are free spay/neuter programs available for residents that meet low-income requirements.  The hotline number is 941-749-3067.  In Travis County/Austin Texas, Emancipet has a mobile unit that performs free spaying and neutering.  It's first come, first served, and means waiting in line to sign up your pet.

For more locations for free (or, more likely low-cost) spaying and neutering, see this ASPCA site.

For Veterans in Who Need Free Help Managing Their Affairs--A Representative Payee Service

In all the talk about respect for the services that veterans have given their country, many still struggle with the afteraffects of war.  Some, due to injury, mental illness or substance abuse, are not able to manage their own money and live on their benefits.  Some don't have family to help them manage their affairs.

In Toledo, the Toledo Community Foundation has funded a program to match veterans in need of help in managing their money with a representative-payee. This can be for veterans with severe mental or behavioral problems, or those who need help transitioning to civilian life.  St. Paul's Community Center already provides this service to other clients who need help with their Social Security benefits, and now provides it for veterans.  For more information, call 419-601-5658.

What if you receive veteran's benefits, or Social Security, and need a service like this?  You can see if your area has a 211 online directory for human services, and search for "representative payee services."  You can also check the nearest regional VA office to see if there are representative-payee services available for veterans, or call the nearest social services office to see if this is offered.