For the dog days of summer....

Mid Atlantic summers can be brutal and Loudoun County is getting prepared. The following was released by the Dept of Family Services:

"The Loudoun County Department of Family Services is accepting Cooling
Assistance applications from now through Friday, August 15, 2008, as part of
the Virginia Department of Social Services' (VDSS) Energy Assistance
Program.

Applications may be picked up at the Department of Family Services, located
at 102 Heritage Way, N.E., Suite 103, Leesburg. People may call 703-777-0353
and an application will be mailed to them. Applications also may be
downloaded from the state government website at
www.dss.virginia.gov/benefit/ea/.

"Virginia's intense summer heat and humidity can be dangerous, particularly
for people in need. This program can be of great assistance to those in a
low-income household, especially children, the disabled, the elderly and
others who may who may be vulnerable to heat," said VDSS Commissioner
Anthony Conyers Jr.

Assistance is available to households that include a child under age six, a
disabled individual or an adult age 60 or over who meet income and
eligibility requirements.

Cooling Assistance can be used to help families and individuals with:

. payment of electric bills up to $150 to operate cooling equipment;
. payment of security deposits for electricity to operate cooling equipment;

. repair of a central air conditioning system or heat pump;
. purchase of a whole-house fan, including ceiling or attic fans; and
. purchase and installation of one window unit air conditioner for
households without one or with one that needs to be replaced.

To qualify for Cooling Assistance, the maximum gross monthly income for a
one-person household is $1,127 before taxes and $2,297 for a household with
four individuals.

The Energy Assistance Program is funded by the federal Low-Income Home
Energy Assistance Program block grant. The Cooling Assistance program served
approximately 44,000 Virginia households last year. "