Community Action of Southern Kentucky is out of emergency heating funds, but program administrators say other organizations may help fill the gap.

“There are various agencies, community partners and churches that can offer help in each of our counties if they still have funds available,” said Leslie Talley, director of community services for the agency.

Talley said because there are so many on the aid list, people who need emergency help with their heating should call individual county Community Action offices or call the central office in Bowling Green.

Another agency that can help residents is Warren Rural Electric Cooperative Corp., with its Warm Hearts program. But the availability of those funds is strictly determined by how much money customers in those counties give to the program, she said.

“Some counties have balances and others don’t,” Talley said.

That program is administered through the agency and is only for WRECC customers.

The co-op’s customers can round up their bills to the next dollar and the money goes into that fund.

“The story here really is that we got less funding than we have in the past, and with the rising cost of heating your home ... that impacts how many families we can help,” Talley said.

Talley said the agency has used all of its $703,000 allocated for the Low Income Heating Assistance Program. About 3,300 people were helped with the program.

Last year, the agency received $870,000 in funding and helped more than 1,000 residents in Warren County.

Cheryl Allen, director of Community Action, said the agency normally has funds available through March. Most counties were out of funding last week and Edmonson, Metcalfe and Simpson counties ran out of their allotments this week, she said.

Allen said proposed legislation in the General Assembly would release more funds for emergency heating, but she is not sure what is going to happen with the measure “since the budget is so tight.”

HB 153 would provide $10 million in emergency funding, but the proposed legislation is stalled in the Appropriations and Revenue Committee.

To have qualified for the emergency heating funds a person must have a past due bill, disconnect notice or be within four days of running out of propane.

“We tell people that they can call back next week, but for people who are in crisis and going to be shut off, that’s too late,” Talley said.

Talley said they hope to be able to find help for those people in true emergencies.

— For more information about where help might be available, call 782-3162