Neighborhood Service Centers
Amie Whitworth -Director
The Neighborhood Service Centers are funded primarily by the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through the Tennessee Department of Human Services. The Centers provide emergency services in the form of vouchers for limited help with rent/mortgage evictions, utility disconnect notices and food. They also distribute USDA Surplus Commodity food, provide job placement services, and provide limited home visits and errands for elderly and disabled clients.
The goal of the LIHEAP program is to aid low-income households with the high-cost of home heating or cooling. Clients may apply at designated times each grant year for a one-time payment to their utility bill. The program has three components. Emergency assistance is available throughout the year on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. Some of the requirements include: households must meet poverty income guidelines, have a disconnect notice for their utilities or have less than a 30-day supply of home heating fuel. The Summer Cooling component applies to households with an elderly or diabled member. Regular Heating is the larges component and receives applications usually in September or October. Specific program eligibility requirements apply to each component.
Counties Served: Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Monroe and Sevier.
Clients Eligible: For assistance under the CSBG program, clients must establish a need for the service, meet 125% of poverty income guidelines and meet other specific program requirements. The USDA Commodity program requires that households be under the 150% poverty income guidelines.
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