EMAA TO DISTRIBUTE HEALTH RELIEF FUNDING

The East Missouri Action Agency will receive about $190,000 from the state to fund utility assistance related to the area's recent heat wave, said Robert Fulton, executive director of EMAA.

The money is part of $7.6 million in emergency funding Missouri received from the federal government, he said. The state was one of several receiving a special energy allocation from the federal government after being identified as hard hit by this summer's high temperatures, Fulton said.

The EMAA board of directors approved the funding Monday night at its meeting in Cape Girardeau.

The money will be spread out over the eight counties served by EMAA to provide help with utility bills. EMAA is a not-for-profit corporation serving low-income residents in Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Iron, Madison, Perry, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve and Washington counties.

Cape Girardeau County usually receives about one-third of the funds distributed by EMAA because it has about one-third the population, Fulton said. The funds will be distributed by EMAA's Energy Crisis Intervention Program.

The region has experienced several bouts of hot weather in the last month. "During hot spells, people use an incredible amount of electricity," Fulton said. "Then they get their bills and they don't have enough money to cover them. Then they could be threatened with cut off."

The Energy Crisis Intervention Program helps qualified families pay for utility bills that are usually high due to weather.

For information on the program or to apply for assistance, contact the Cape Girardeau Community Services office, 1111 Linden St., or call 334-5533. In Bollinger County, call 238-4220; Perry County, call 547-2014; Ste. Genevieve County, call 883-7252.