Project Warm-up

United Way collaborates with other local service providers to meet the home heating needs of families experiencing a short-term crisis within New London County. When all other means of assistance are gone, Project Warm-Up steps in to help.

Last winter, United Way's Project Warm-up provided more than 400 families with home heating assistance so that they would not go cold. The good news is that Project Warm-Up does make an impact. A study was conducted on the Project Warm-Up clients for the past three years. Only 1% (14) of the families receiving assistance did so for three years in a row. Just 8% (97) of the families received assistance for two out of three years. The remaining 91% (1,156) only requested assistance for one out of all three years. Because of the individual case management that clients receive, they are empowered to find solutions and learn skills such as budgeting that will help them cover all the costs of living in the future, instead of relying each year on assistance through programs like Project Warm-Up.

Families that fall between the guidelines of local agencies, as well as state and federal assistance programs (i.e. individuals laid off due to downsizing, people experiencing unusual medical expenses and families in emergency) are the target beneficiaries of this program. Project Warm-Up provides relief to families in short-term crisis.

Families are represented by virtually every township in the county - with the majority coming from New London, Norwich, Pawcatuck, Uncasville, Waterford and Groton. Because of the high cost of oil in the winter of 2005-06, heating by that means was made a priority.

Sources of heating assistance:

• The fuel bank in your town;
• Dial Infoline at 2-1-1, a free call from anywhere in the state of Connecticut;
• Two State programs are in place to assist residents with their energy bills - review their guidelines at the Department of Social Services; and
• Citizens Energy.

Project Warm-Up is funded in part by the Community Foundation of Southeastern Connecticut, the Frank Loomis Palmer Fund; Bank of America, Trustee, and the Bodenwein Public Benevolent Foundation; Bank of America, Trustee.