DAVENPORT, Iowa — Summer is in full effect and homeowners are trying to make their homes energy efficient to combat the heat.
That includes Denise Moser who noticed she needed her home weatherized. However, she couldn’t afford the expense.
“My windows were broken, some of them were broke and I didn’t really have a lot of insulation in the walls, and they took care of all that,” Moser said.
The group who helped her was Community Action of Eastern Iowa, a non-profit that helps residents in Scott, Clinton, Muscatine, and Cedar counties.
“Our agency provides a lot of services to the four-county region," CEO Joe Murphy said. "It was thousands of homes that we helped cover their heating bills last winter."
Some of the services offered include:
- FaDSS (family and development)
- Self-sufficiency work
- Childcare resources
- Referral services
- Weatherization and LIHEAP (low-income home energy assistance program)
- 24/7 food pantry.
Their 24/7 food pantry is the only food pantry that is open nights and weekends in Scott County. They provide the same services in other counties with more limited hours.
The agency also provides assistance anytime there’s a disaster declaration. They are currently offering assistance to victims of the apartment building collapse in Davenport.
Moser owns one of the homes the organization weatherized this year, but she has also used them before in the past to help pay her utilities as part of their LIHEAP program.
Moser has worked closely with Denise Ramos during her times of need.
“Denise [Ramos] was awesome," Moser said. "I go to her with any question, and she would always have an answer for me. She was there for me."
Ramos has spent here entire career in social work and has been with the agency for 15 years.
“I’ve worked in social work field, all my working career and to be honored at this part of my career," Ramos said. "[Work] impacts me every day because we work with people who I enjoying see the outcome of."
If you need access to any of their services, Community Action of Eastern Iowa is here to help.
"There isn’t an income guide for food but there is [for] everything else,” Ramos said.
AC units and heaters can be picked up from their office, 500 E 59th St. in Davenport, by those who meet eligibility requirements.
When people receive services from the Agency, they will work with people who want to help.
“We’re blessed to have some of the best people in the industry out there helping every day," said Murphy. "We're blessed to be helping people on the daily basis and that’s the big take away."
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