Piedmont Community Action Agency financial assistance programs.
Several services are offered by the Piedmont Community Action. The non-profit processes applications for government aid such as LIHEAP or weatherization as well as Head Start. They also can provide referrals to other resources in the region, such as assistance programs administered by Duke Power or local churches in the area. Assistance is available in the South Carolina counties of Cherokee, Spartanburg, and Greenville.
When the case managers from the community action agency can’t meet your needs, they try to provide referrals to other local programs. A focus is always on the least fortunate in the region, in particular the children and/or elderly.
One of their main offerings is Head Start. This is a federal resource that supports children under the age of 6 and will help them prepare enter kindergarten. It can address educational knowledge, confidence, and their attitude among other things. The goal of the teachers and case managers from Piedmont Community Action is to improve their chances for future success in the South Carolina public schools.
Another similar offering is Early Head Start. This is a program that helps infants, pregnant women and toddlers under the age of 3. It gives the youngest among us support during that all too important time of their overall development. It is often combined with the Piedmont Community Action Child Development Center Program.
The agency and its staff work with children and parents across the region, such as Spartanburg, to help them grow and develop. It addresses education and offers them access to several different diverse learning experiences. As part of Head Start, children can also receive basic medical check ups, food, snacks, and other support. Their parents can enroll into social services too, such as job training or other employment activities.
Self-sufficiency, and maybe the occasional support services, are offered as part of the Community Services Block Grant, or CSBG. This is the main federal tool that offers assistance and resources to low-income individuals, seniors and really entire families in Spartanburg and Cherokee. The goal is help them through a crisis but really to become more financially independent. The CSBG offices provide community direct and case management services in Spartanburg and Cherokee counties.
One of the main resources from CSBG is Employment Training. This Piedmont Community Actions tool offers a variety of classes and services that are designed to provide clients with adequate training to overcome challenges to self-sufficiency.
Specialists and case managers work with clients to help them develop strengths while providing the necessary job training to enhance needed skills for gainful employment. The goal is to place someone into a job that will pay a salary above minimum wage and even offer benefits, such as maybe health insurance.
LIHEAP - Low Income Energy Assistance is a program that can help working poor families in Spartanburg and Cherokee. The focus is on seniors and homes with children. The disabled are also a priority. The program can help them with paying their energy costs during both the summer as well as winter months.
The window to apply is limited. Applications for Direct Assistance from LIHEAP are from spring until summer for cooling bills and then from fall until winter for heating bills.
PCA also runs an emergency assistance program as part of LIHEAP, and this is the crisis component. This financial aid is for low income families who may find themselves facing a shut off or that are currently without heat. These also can’t have funds to pay their energy bill. While more limited, emergency financial assistance may be available for cooling bills if medically necessary.
The WAP - Weatherization Assistance Program from Piedmont Community Action assists in reducing utility bills for low income households by increasing energy efficiency in homes. Each home in the 3 county area, such as Greenville, will be assessed to determine the most cost effective energy savings route to employ to it. Contractors from the agency can provide improvements such as extra insulation for windows, installing attic hatches and free doors and sealing major air leaks. Dial (864) 327-1125 for more details.
Another option is one from Duke Power. This is known as Project Heat, and it helps families in need of heating bill assistance. For those one, dial 864.327.1127.
Teenagers, and mostly high school students, can benefit from Youth Leadership Program. This is available in local schools, including those in Spartanburg, that offer services such as classes to enhance basic literacy skills, match, and address other needs. The goal is to help high students (from grades 9-12) grow and acquire leadership skills for becoming future adult leaders as well as productive achievers. 864.327.1121.
Applications for assistance from Piedmont Community Action
For more details, call the Piedmont Community Action. The main office is at 300 S. Daniel Morgan Avenue, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29304, call (864) 585-8183.
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