As colder temperatures move into the area, many are struggling financially due to the economic impacts of COVID-19.
Gov. Kay Ivey last Wednesday awarded grants totaling $13.8 million to help low-income households with home energy costs during the winter months amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
kAm%96 8C2?ED H:== 6?23=6 `h 4@>>F?:EJ D6CG:46 286?4:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 r@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? r@>>:EE66 x?4] @7 r92>36CD\%2==2A@@D2\r@@D2 4@F?E:6D 2?5 E96 r@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? !2CE?6CD9:A @7 |:55=6 p=232>2[ x?4] D6CG:?8 t=>@C6 r@F?EJ[ E@ AC@G:56 6>6C86?4J 7F?5:?8 E@ 96=A =@H\:?4@>6 72>:=:6D H9@D6 :?4@>6 H2D 27764E65 3J E96 4@C@?2G:CFD A2?56>:4 962E E96:C 9@>6D E9:D H:?E6C]k^Am
kAm“pD H6 6?E6C E96 4@=56DE >@?E9D @7 E96 J62C[ >2?J =@H\:?4@>6 C6D:56?ED 7:?5 E96>D6=G6D :? 6G6? E@F896C D:EF2E:@?D 5F6 E@ E96 A2?56>:4 2?5 >2J DECF88=6 E@ 277@C5 9:896C 962E:?8 3:==D 2=@?8 H:E9 @E96C ?665D[” xG6J D2:5] “%96D6 8C2?ED AC@G:56 255:E:@?2= 7F?5:?8 E@ 2DD:DE :? =@H6C:?8 E96 4@DED 7@C >2?J @7 E96> 3J >2<:?8 @?6\E:>6 6>6C86?4J A2J>6?ED]” k^Am
kAmxG6J 2H2C565 E96 8C2?ED E@ `h 4@>>F?:EJ 286?4:6D E92E >2?286 E96 AC@8C2> 2E E96 =@42= =6G6= 2?5 C646:G6 2AA=:42E:@?D 7C@> :?5:G:5F2=D H9@ H:D9 E@ 36 4@?D:56C65 7@C 2DD:DE2?46 244@C5:?8 E@ &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 w62=E9 2?5 wF>2? $6CG:46D 8F:56=:?6D]k^Am
kAm%96 p=232>2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 t4@?@>:4 2?5 r@>>F?:EJ p772:CD :D 25>:?:DE6C:?8 E96 8C2?ED 7C@> 7F?5D >256 2G2:=23=6 3J E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 w62=E9 2?5 wF>2? $6CG:46D E9C@F89 E96 r@C@?2G:CFD p:5[ #6=:67 2?5 t4@?@>:4 $64FC:EJ Wrp#t$X pr%] %96D6 8C2?ED 2C6 DFAA=6>6?E2= E@ 8C2?E 7F?5D @7 Sce]a >:==:@? 2H2C565 3J xG6J E9C@F89 E96 DE2E6’D J62C=J {@H x?4@>6 w@>6 t?6C8J pDD:DE2?46 2==@42E:@? 62C=:6C E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAm“pstrp ;@:?D v@G] xG6J :? DFAA@CE:?8 E9@D6 H9@ ?665 :E >@DE 5FC:?8 E9:D E:>6 @7 ?665[” pstrp 5:C64E@C z6??6E9 q@DH6== D2:5] “~FC A2CE?6CD9:AD H:E9 =@42= 4@>>F?:EJ 286?4:6D 6?DFC6 E92E >2?J H9@ ECF=J ?665 2DD:DE2?46 C646:G6 96=A H:E9 962E:?8 E96:C 9@>6D 5FC:?8 E96 4@=56DE >@?E9D @7 E96 J62C]”k^Am
kAmq6=@H :D 2 =:DE @7 6249 8C2?E[ E96 C64:A:6?E 286?4J[ 4@F?E:6D D6CG65 2?5 E96 286?4J E6=6A9@?6 ?F>36Cik^Am
kAmSdca[e_c E@ kDEC@?8mr@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? p86?4J @7 }@CE9H6DE p=232>2 x?4]k^DEC@?8m Wr@=36CE[ uC2?<=:? 2?5 {2F56C52=6X ade\fee\cbb_k^Am
kAmS`[aed[dcb E@ kDEC@?8mr@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? !2CE?6CD9:A @7 |:55=6 p=232>2[ x?4]k^DEC@?8m WpFE2F82[ r9:=E@?[ t=>@C6 2?5 $96=3JX a_d\fdd\`a_ck^Am
kAmSae`[fae E@ kDEC@?8mr@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? r@>>:EE66 x?4] @7 r92>36CD\%2==2A@@D2\r@@D2k^DEC@?8m Wr92>36CD[ r@@D2 2?5 %2==2A@@D2X ade\gad\cagfk^Am
kAmSea_[g_b E@ kDEC@?8mp=232>2 r@F?4:= @? wF>2? #6=2E:@?D x?4]k^DEC@?8m W{66X bbc\ga`\gbbek^Am
kAmS`[_db[ah_ E@ kDEC@?8mr@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? !2CE?6CD9:A @7 wF?EDG:==6\|25:D@? 2?5 {:>6DE@?6 r@F?E:6D x?4]k^DEC@?8m W|25:D@? 2?5 {:>6DE@?6X ade\gd`\hg__k^Am
kAmS`[ce`[gbh E@ kDEC@?8m|@3:=6 r@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? x?4]k^DEC@?8m W|@3:=6 2?5 (2D9:?8E@?X ad`\cdf\df__k^Am
kAmSha_[gb_ E@ kDEC@?8m|@?E8@>6CJ r@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? r@>>:EE66 2?5 r@>>F?:EJ s6G6=@A>6?E r@CA@C2E:@? x?4]k^DEC@?8m W|@?E8@>6CJX bbc\aeb\bcfck^Am
kAmSe``[aaf E@ kDEC@?8mr@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? !2CE?6CD9:A @7 }@CE9 p=232>2 x?4]k^DEC@?8m WrF==>2?[ {2HC6?46 2?5 |@C82?X ade\bdd\fgcbk^Am
kAmS`[b`_[aah E@ kDEC@?8mr@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? p86?4J @7 }@CE962DE p=232>2 x?4]k^DEC@?8m Wq=@F?E[ r96C@<66[ s6z2=3[ y24<D@?[ |2CD92== 2?5 $E] r=2:CX ade\ebg\ccb_k^Am
kAmSf_a[`hb E@ kDEC@?8m~C82?:K65 r@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? !C@8C2> x?4]k^DEC@?8m WqF==@4<[ qFE=6C[ r@G:?8E@?[ rC6?D92H[ s2=6[ {@H?56D 2?5 !:<6X bbc\dee\`f`ak^Am
kAmS`[``b[hbb E@ kDEC@?8mr@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? p86?4J @7 $@FE9 p=232>2k^DEC@?8m Wq2=5H:?[ r=2C<6[ r@?64F9[ tD42>3:2[ |2C6?8@[ |@?C@6 2?5 (:=4@IX ad`\eae\aecek^Am
kAmSfef[eac E@ kDEC@?8mr@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? p86?4J @7 %2==25682[ r=2J[ #2?5@=A9[ r2=9@F? 2?5 r=63FC?6k^DEC@?8m Wr2=9@F?[ r=2J[ r=63FC?6[ #2?5@=A9 2?5 %2==25682X ade\bea\ee``k^Am
kAmS`[cb`[d`e E@ kDEC@?8mr@>>F?:EJ $6CG:46 !C@8C2>D @7 (6DE p=232>2 x?4]k^DEC@?8m Wq:33[ r9@4E2H[ s2==2D[ u2J6EE6[ vC66?6[ {2>2C[ !6CCJ[ $F>E6C 2?5 %FD42=@@D2X a_d\fda\dcahk^Am
kAmSacc[`f` E@ kDEC@?8m(2=<6C r@F?EJ r@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? p86?4J x?4]k^DEC@?8m W(2=<6C r@F?EJX a_d\aa`\c_`_k^Am
kAmSee_[f__ E@ kDEC@?8m$@FE962DE p=232>2 r@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? !2CE?6CD9:A x?4]k^DEC@?8m Wq2C3@FC[ r@7766[ v6?6G2[ w6?CJ 2?5 w@FDE@?X bbc\bcf\_gg`k^Am
kAmSf_[aa_ E@ kDEC@?8m!:4<6?D r@F?EJ r@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? r@>>:EE66 2?5 r@>>F?:EJ s6G6=@A>6?E r@CA@C2E:@? x?4]k^DEC@?8m W!:4<6?DX a_d\bef\`agbk^Am
kAmSabc[dhe E@ kDEC@?8m|24@?\#FDD6== r@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? p86?4J x?4]k^DEC@?8m W|24@? 2?5 #FDD6==X bbc\faf\e`__k^Am
kAmS`fg[fc_ E@ kDEC@?8m|2C:@?\(:?DE@? r@F?E:6D r@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? r@>>:EE66 x?4]k^DEC@?8m W|2C:@? 2?5 (:?DE@?X a_d\ha`\caack^Am
kAmSbeg[ed` E@ kDEC@?8mr@>>F?:EJ p4E:@? @7 tE@H29 r@F?EJ x?4]k^DEC@?8m WtE@H29X ade\dce\haf`k^Am

