City of Leesburg Citizens Utility Relief Effort utility bill assistance

When all of a customer’s LIHEAP grants and charitable resources for paying utility bills have been exhausted, this is when the City of Leesburg Citizens Utility Relief Effort program may be able to assist. Using donations from the community at large, there may be emergency financial aid available for paying all types of utility bills.

Donations are used to fund this program. There are people who round up their bills to the next highest dollar amount as well as customers who write a check to the City of Leesburg CURE program. There are also fund raisers held by boy or girl scouts, churches that provide contributions to the utility bill assistance program, and employees from City of Leesburg who contribute.

Donations come from those sources and others. There are even some funds for paying electric bills that non-profits give to the program, and that money may come from the United Way or charities such as the Christian Care Center and Lake Community Action Agency. Note that when giving to the program, 100% of the money is used for providing utility bill assistance and, in general, 100% of the funds are also tax deductible. This helps ensure the most customers in need get help with paying their energy bills.

Applying to City of Leesburg C.U.R.E.

As noted, this is a program for last resort. Qualified customers will be given a credit on their utility bills, with the goal of giving them time to find other, longer term solutions. Since any assistance is available one time only, as a last resort, applicants should have applied for other resources first, both from the government and charities in the region.

Most of the funds go to senior citizens, the disabled, or those with an unexpected financial emergency. Examples of this, and who may receive one time utility bill help, would be someone with an unexpected job loss or say medical emergency. It is for a crisis only.

 

 

When applying for utility bill assistance from City of Leesburg Citizens Utility Relief Effort, there are several things to be aware of. They include some or all of the following:

1)All other federal, state, and local utility assistance programs must have been exhausted, including crisis LIHEAP.
2)Charities in the City of Leesburg service territory must also have been applied to.
3)Proof is needed of income, residency, the reason for the emergency, SS numbers, and more.
4)Any assistance from City of Leesburg Citizens Utility Relief Effort is limited in dollar amount as the funding is limited due to donations.

It takes time to process applications. It may be days before any assistance is given. Therefore start the application process early, in advance of when funds are needed. There are different places to apply at or donate to the City of Leesburg C.U.R.E. program, and they include the following. Call customer service at Lake Community Action Agency (352-787-1156) or Christian Care Center (352-314-8733). Or try regional social service agencies as well as charity groups, including community action or the Salvation Army.