Contact: Barbara Riley
Friday, October 10, 2008

PLYMOUTH, NH – United States Senator John Sununu (R-NH) today (10/10) met with members of the New Hampshire Association of Senior Centers (NHASC) at their annual meeting in Plymouth to discuss the importance of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding for low-income seniors and families. Senior Centers from across the state, including Salem, Berlin, Kearsarge, Pelham, and Grafton County were represented.

 “The colder weather is already here, and this historic level of heating aid will give low-income seniors and families across the state added security in knowing that help is available to pay expensive heating bills,” said Sununu. “State and local officials do a tremendous job in getting this money to folks on a timely basis, and I am pleased Congress has done its job by doubling funding and providing the state with these valuable resources. Since coming to Congress in 1997, I have strongly backed LIHEAP and citizens across New Hampshire can be assured that I remain committed to helping them.”

The Senate, with Sununu’s strong support, included $5.1 billion as part of the Continuing Resolution, which is the largest amount ever provided in one year for the program. Under the program funding formula, New Hampshire will receive at least $34.1 million in block grant monies, as well as some amount of contingency funds to be released by the Administration in emergency circumstances. The President has signed the legislation into law.

Donna Sargent, the Director of Ossipee Concerned Citizens, stated, “LIHEAP is so important to the seniors in this area.  Many of them couldn’t get by without it.”

The NHASC is a statewide, professional, non-profit organization dedicated to fostering the multipurpose nature of senior centers and professional development of senior center management. The organization was formed in 1991 to recognize the importance of properly staffed, organized Senior Centers in every community in the State.

To learn about the application process to receive LIHEAP funds, residents of Coos, Carroll and Grafton Counties are encouraged to contact Tri-County Community Action (www.tccap.org) at the following locations and phone numbers:

Coos County
Berlin: 603-752-3248
Colebrook: 603-237-8168
Lancaster: 603-788-4477

Carroll County
Tamworth: 603-323-7400 or 1-888-842-3835

Grafton County
Lebanon: 603-443-6100
Littleton: 603-444-6653
Plymouth: 603-536-8222
Woodsville: 603-747-3013

Residents of Belknap and Merrimack County are encouraged to contact Community Action Program Belknap-Merrimack Counties, Inc. (www.bm-cap.org), at the following locations and phone numbers:
Concord: 603-225-6880
Franklin: 603-934-3444
Laconia: 603-524-5512
Meredith: 603-279-4096
Suncook: 603-485-7824
Warner: 603-456-2207

Residents of Rockingham County are encouraged to contact Rockingham Community Action (www.raction.org) at the following locations and phone numbers:
Salem: 603-898-8435
Portsmouth: 603-436-3896 or 1-800-639-3896

Residents of Hillsborough County are encouraged to contact Southern New Hampshire Services (www.snhs.org) at the following locations and phone numbers:
Nashua: 603-889-3440 or 1-877-211-0723
Manchester: 603-647-4470 or 1-800-322-1073                                                                                                           
Peterborough: 603-924-2243 or 1-877-757-7048
Hillsborough: 603-464-5835 (Monday and Friday)
Milford: 603-673-0756 (Tuesday and Thursday)
Greenville:  603-878-3364 (Wednesday)

Residents of Cheshire and Sullivan Counties are encouraged to contact Southwestern Community Services (www.scshelps.org) at the following locations and phone numbers:
Keene: 603-352-7512
Claremont: 603-542-9528 or 1-800-529-0005

Residents of Strafford County are encouraged to contact Strafford County Community Action (www.straffcap.org) at the following locations and phone numbers:
Dover: 603-749-1334
Rochester: 603-332-3963
Milton: 603-652-9893
Farmington: 603-755-9305

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