Campesinos Unidos

TO PROMOTE FOR BENEVOLENT & CHARITABLE PURPOSES GREATER SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, EDUCATIONAL, AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS INCLUDING THE PROVISION OF HOMEOWNERSHIP COUNSELING & THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE DECENT HOUSING TO LOW & MODERATE INCOME INDIVIDUALS.

ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS - ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS INCLUDE: UTILITY ASSISTANCE AND WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM, HEAP (HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM), ECIP OR F/T (ENERGY CRISIS INTERVENTION PROGRAM OR FAST TRACK), WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM, HVAC (HEATING, VENTING AND AIR CONDITIONING), AND ENERGY SAVINGS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ESAP).UTILITY ASSISTANCE AND WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS - THE LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP) IS A FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAM THAT ASSISTS LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS WITH UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND WEATHERIZATION SERVICES DESIGNED TO REDUCE HEATING AND COOLING COSTS AND IMPROVE THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF A HOME, WHILE SAFEGUARDING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE HOUSEHOLD. THESE SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT IMPERIAL AND SAN DIEGO COUNTIES. THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AVAILABLE. THE DETERMINATION AS TO WHICH PROGRAM AN APPLICANT WILL UTILIZE WILL BE DETERMINED BASED ON THE APPLICANT'S CIRCUMSTANCES. THE DOLLAR AMOUNT AWARDED IS THE SAME FOR EITHER PROGRAM.HEAP - HEAP ASSISTS CLIENTS WHO ARE IN NEED OF HELP PAYING THEIR ELECTRIC OR GAS BILL. CLIENTS DETERMINE WHICH BILL THEY WILL BE ASSISTED WITH. THE AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE IS BASED ON HOUSEHOLD INCOME AND SIZE. CLIENTS SUPPLY INFORMATION THAT WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE AN ESTABLISHED BENEFIT AMOUNT WHICH WILL APPEAR AS A CREDIT ON THE CLIENTS' BILL. IF THE BILL IS INCLUDED IN THE CLIENTS RENT, THE CLIENT RECEIVES A CHECK IN THE BENEFIT AMOUNT. HEAP MAY PAY FOR A PORTION OF THE ENERGY BILL IN THE FORM OF A DUAL OR SINGLE PARTY WARRANT OR A DIRECT PAYMENT TO A UTILITY COMPANY.ECIP OR F/T - ECIP F/T ASSISTS CLIENTS WHO ARE IN CRISIS OF HAVING THEIR ELECTRIC OR GAS SERVICE DISCONNECTED OR THAT THEIR ELECTRIC OR GAS HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED. CLIENTS WHOSE UTILITIES ARE INCLUDED IN THEIR RENT DO NOT QUALIFY FOR ECIP/FT. ECIP/FT PLEDGES ARE CALLED INTO THE APPROPRIATE UTILITY COMPANY INDICATING AN APPLICATION HAS BEEN PROCESSED WITH THE PLEDGE AMOUNT TO POSTPONE OR STOP THE PENDING LOSS OF SERVICE. IF THE SERVICE IS ALREADY DISCONNECTED UTILITY COMPANY WILL BE NOTIFIED OF CLIENTS PLEDGE AMOUNT IN ORDER TO HAVE THEIR SERVICES RE-CONNECTED.WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM - WEATHERIZATION SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO HOME OWNERS, MOBILE HOME OWNERS, CONDO OWNERS, AS WELL AS RENTERS. IF THE APPLICANT IS A RENTER THE OWNER'S AUTHORIZATION IS REQUIRED FOR WEATHERIZATION SERVICES. WEATHERIZATION SERVICES ARE MEASURES APPLIED TO A HOME TO ASSIST IN MAKING THE HOME MORE COMFORTABLE AS WELL AS HOPEFULLY ASSIST IN LOWERING THE MONTHLY ELECTRIC AND GAS BILLS.HVAC - HVAC SERVICES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE TO HOME OWNERS, MOBILE HOME OWNERS, CONDO OWNERS AS WELL AS RENTERS OF HOMES, CONDOS, MOBILE HOMES AND APARTMENTS. HVAC SERVICES PERTAIN TO HOT WATER HEATERS, INSIDE THE HOME HEATERS AND AIR CONDITIONING UNITS. INSIDE THE HOME HEATERS MAY RECEIVE A CLEAN AND TUNE, REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT, BASED ON THE EVALUATION OF THE HEATERS. THE SAME IS TRUE OF HOT WATER HEATERS AND AIR CONDITIONING UNITS. THE ABILITY TO REPAIR OR REPLACE ANY OF THE UNITS IS BASED ON AN ASSESSMENT AND AVAILABLE FUNDING. PRIORITY IS GIVEN TO FAMILIES WITH THE LOWEST INCOME AND HIGHEST ENERGY BURDEN, TO PEOPLE AGE 60 OR OVER, THOSE PERMANENTLY DISABLED, AND TO FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS OF AGE.ENERGY SAVINGS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ESAP) - TOGETHER WITH THE GAS COMPANY AND SAN DIEGO GAS & ELECTRIC, CAMPESINOS UNIDOS, INC., PROVIDES ENERGY SAVINGS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT IMPERIAL, RIVERSIDE AND SAN DIEGO COUNTIES TO PROVIDE ENERGY-SAVING IMPROVEMENTS TO ASSIST FAMILIES CONSERVE ENERGY. THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE PROVIDED TO ELIGIBLE TENANTS AND HOMEOWNERS WHO ARE CUSTOMERS OF THESE UTILITY COMPANIES WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE AREAS.

OTHER PROGRAMS - CAMPESINOS UNIDOS, INC. PARTNER WITH THE EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER PROGRAM (EFSP) TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES/INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE HOMELESS OR AT-RISK OF HOMELESSNESS. THIS COLLABORATION ALLOWS US TO HELP PAY PAST DUE RENT OR UTILITIES, AND PROVIDE EMERGENCY FOOD. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO PARTNER WITH THE IMPERIAL VALLEY FOOD BANK, TO PROVIDE USDA COMMODITIES DISTRIBUTION IN TWO SITES AND PROVIDE FAMILIES/INDIVIDUALS WITH ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD. BY HELPING ALLEVIATE THESE IMMEDIATE NEEDS, WE ALSO GAIN THE OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY AND SOCIAL SERVICE SUPPORT TO IMPROVE SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS AND OVERALL WELLNESS OF LOW-INCOME FAMILIES/INDIVIDUALS IN IMPERIAL COUNTY.IN ADDITION, CAMPESINOS UNIDOS, INC. PARTNER WITH THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE AND COORDINATE TWO VITA SITES. FEDERAL AND STATE INCOME TAX RETURNS ARE ELECTRONICALLY FILED FREE OF CHARGE FOR LOW TO MODERATE INCOME WORKING HOUSEHOLDS. THE ORGANIZATION PROMOTES THE FEDERAL EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT (EITC) AND THE NEW CALIFORNIA EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT (CA.EITC). AS PER THE REPORT "LEFT ON THE TABLE", BY ANTONIO AVALOS AND SEAN ALLEY, 2010, NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION, RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE FEDERAL EITC IS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR SUPPORTING WORK AND ALLEVIATING POVERTY BY SUPPLEMENTING THE EARNINGS OF MINIMUM-WAGE WORKERS. IT IS WIDELY REGARDED AS THE NATION'S MOST EFFECTIVE ANTI-POVERTY PROGRAM.