Callaway County assistance programs.

Employment and Job Training

The Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA) offers several services and resources to help people find jobs and gain career skills. They include job readiness training, financial assistance and grants for approved career and technical training programs, career exploration counseling and assessment, case management, resume services, on the job training as well as supplies for job searching and job retention, and job search assistance.

Help with heating and summer cooling bills

If you are struggling with paying your energy bills, the Missouri Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program offered by CMCA has two main components. They include the Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP) and the Energy Assistance (EA) that make up the assistance program. EA is a one time payment program operating in the winter season and it runs from November to March. On the other hand, ECIP has both a winter and a summer season. Like the EA program mentioned above, the winter season starts in October for those who are either elderly or disabled, and it will start in November for all other applicants and it runs through May. Applicants to the ECIP program need to have either a disconnection notice or be shut off before assistance is provided. Applicants can receive up to $800 in the winter towards their bills and get up to $300 during the summer season, provided there are funds available. A huge pro of the program is that applicants may get assistance as many times as they need it, provided they have a shut off notice and have not reached their maximum benefit levels for that particular season.

 

 

 

Weatherization

CMCA's Weatherization Assistance Program will help people save money, as well as achieve a safe and healthy dwelling environment. It will provide maximum practicable energy conservation and savings in housing for people with low income. While the program does target both the handicapped and the elderly, however all those people who meet the income guidelines are eligible for aid.

If you need details on these or other assistance programs, contact the Central Missouri Community Action that supports Futon as well as Callaway County. They can be reached at (573) 443-8706.

Rent Assistance Programs

People who need help paying for their rent, those facing eviction, or someone who is currently homeless can contact SERVE, Inc.'s Callaway Action Network. The agency has received extensive funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, better know as the stimulus program, and the funding was designated for people facing eviction, homeless prevention and rapid rehousing (HPRP).

The money being distributed are federal government funds. They are grants that are intended to provide short term rent help and housing assistance (up to three months), money can be used to pay for rental and security deposits, pay for rent in arrears to avert eviction, utility deposits, and the program can even pay for utility bill arrearage. The funds are designed to help people bridge the crisis and to get households back to stabilization and self-sufficiency. Contact SERVE at (573) 642-6388 to learn more or apply for help.