Operation Fuel Assistance Program, MLK Day Celebration in Westport, and More!

January 12, 2024


 
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Dear Neighbor,

If you're struggling to pay utility bills, Operation Fuel may be able to help.

Operation Fuel's energy assistance program opened this week for the Winter/Spring season. Applications will be accepted until March 1 unless available funds run out before that date.

Households with incomes that do not exceed 75% of the State Median Income Guidelines may qualify for assistance. These households include - but are not limited to - the elderly, disabled, working families, or individuals facing a financial crisis.

Eligible clients may apply for energy assistance (gas, electric, oil, or other deliverable fuel) ONCE per year and receive a grant of UP TO $500.
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For utility assistance (electric & gas), clients must show they made at least four payments in the past 12 months, must owe a past due amount, and provide at least four weeks of income information.

Operation Fuel is accepting applications for water and energy bill assistance for:

Electric: Eversource, United Illuminating (UI), and Norwalk Public Utilities
Gas: Eversource, UI, Yankee Gas, Southern Connecticut Gas (SCG), and Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG)
Water: CT Water and The Metropolitan District (MDC)

Operation Fuel has been assisting Connecticut residents for 46 years. In that time, Operation Fuel has distributed millions of dollars in assistance to help thousands of Connecticut households.
 
For more information and to apply for assistance, click HERE.
Osborne Avenue to Temporarily Close January 15, 2024 
Parts of Osborne Avenue  in Norwalk will be closed to allow for construction prep. The Osborne Avenue Railroad Bridge Project is a part of a composite of infrastructure projects on or near the Metro-North Railroad (MNR) New Haven Line in East Norwalk.  The Osborne Avenue Railroad Bridge Project includes a new superstructure and rehabilitates the substructure while maintaining the current vertical and horizontal clearances.

The preparation work is set to begins Monday, January 15 and will continue through Thursday, March 7.  During this time period, Osborne Avenue will be closed, northbound and southbound, between Ft. Point Street and Rowan Street. Local resident and business access and pedestrian access permitted.

  • Motorists and pedestrians advised to follow posted detour signs and routes.
  •  All local property and business access maintained.
  •  Motorists to South Norwalk from East Norwalk advised to use Fort Point Street to Van Zant Street; motorists to East Avenue advised to follow Van Zant Street to East Avenue and routes northbound.
  • Noise is monitored during construction operations.
  • Construction operations related to railroad improvements along the New Haven Line.

Click here to learn more. 
Unemployment Insurance (UI) Reminders 
With 2024 upon us, and the winter peak season for Unemployment Insurance (UI) claim filing, the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) wanted to share a few reminders.

As a result of high demand, the wait time to get an appointment with a claims agent is now several weeks long. The CTDOL is encourages filers to submit a case online rather than calling to make an appointment as it is often results in a more timely response and resolution. They also shared some tips for frequently occurring issues:

  1. Forgotten username or password.
  • Filers should write down their username/password combination and store it in a safe location or in a digital password keeper. Passwords must be reset in accordance to federal rules for unemployment benefits.
  • Filers do not need to make an appointment to talk to a claims agent. They can reset their passwords by submitting the lockout form online. That is faster than scheduling an appointment.
  1.  Ten-day processing period. 
  • Unemployment claims must go through a verification process that includes employer notification as well as identity and fraud prevention checks. This verification period takes a minimum of 10 days; claims will not be paid out until they are processed in accordance with state and federal law. Circumventing this verification period could cause overpayments that the filer is required to repay; costs employers money; and increases the likelihood that Connecticut pays fraudulent claims.

Please visit the CTDOL website with any additional questions. 
MLK Day Celebration at Westport Library 
The Westport Library is holding its 18th annual Rev, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration this Sunday, January 14. The annual celebration is a partnership between the Library, TEAM Westport, the Westport Country Playhouse, and the Westport/Weston Interfaith Clergy and Council.

Dr. Clarence B. Jones, the longtime speechwriter and confidant of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will be the guest of honor, and will be joined by acclaimed novelist and King in the Wilderness producer Trey Ellis, Award-winning news anchor Craig Melvin, and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut) and U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (New York).

Click here to register. The event will also be livestreamed on the Library's YouTube channel.
I look forward to seeing you at one of the Norwalk MLK events this Monday: 
https://www.visitnorwalk.org/events/mlk-day-observances/

Sincerely,

Dominique Johnson
State Representative
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