| General
Assistance
General
Assistance is a monthly grant program, mandated by State
Law and administered exclusively by Illinois Townships,
for individuals in need, who meet certain eligibility
requirements. The term came out of the Social Security
Act of 1935, stating that if a person does not fit into
categories administrated by Social Security or Department
of Human Services, they fell into a “general” category;
hence the term General Assistance. Eligibility
Guidelines are as follows:
• Must
be a Township resident
• 18
years of age and out of High School
• No
potential means of income
• Have
applied and been found ineligible for other State or
Federal benefits
• Must
be able to work, job search and do work fare
OR
• Pending
Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income
Emergency
Assistance
Emergency Assistance is a needs based program for Township
residents. Eligibility is income qualified based on family
size. Those who qualify may receive assistance with rent/mortgage,
utilities, gas vouchers and food. Individuals can receive
Emergency Assistance once in a twelve (12) month period. In addition the Township General Assistance Department
negotiates with major utility companies as well as local
municipalities regarding client cut-off notices as well
as working with landlords and the Sheriff's Office to help
prevent evictions. Likewise referrals are made to several
agencies including the Illinois Department of Human Services
(formerly known as Public Aid), Unemployment offices, Social
Security, DuPage Housing Authority, Catholic Charities,
Salvation Army, Family Shelter, WIC (Woman Infants and
Children) Program, Mental Health Facilities, Access DuPage
and many more.
Low
Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
DuPage County administers the LIHEAP program. However
for the convenience of our clients the Township assists
in filling out and accepting applications. It is designed
to help eligible people, with grants paid directly to the
utilities, for residential Gas and Electric bills. This
program is income qualified based on family size and runs
from September 1 st to May 31 st of every year.
If you wish to determine your eligibility for these programs
you may do so by calling 630-529-9993 to make an appointment
with a General Assistance case worker.
Co-Operative
Programs
Bloomingdale Township in conjunction with The Volunteer
Council of Bloomingdale Township provides assistance for
Township residents in need through donations from private
individuals, corporations and other not-for-profit organizations.
The
Volunteer Council of Bloomingdale Township is a not-for-profit
organization comprised of local churches, schools, individuals,
civic and community groups. The Council helps needy clients
through these joint programs with Bloomingdale Township
General Assistance Department.
Food
Pantry
The Volunteer Council Raises funds and encourages food
drives to operate a food pantry that is housed in the General
Assistance Office. The pantry is capable of storing both
perishable and non-perishable items. Volunteers help staff
the pantry to stock the shelves and rotate items. The pantry
is an asset to the Township in that it provides the General
Assistance Office a donated source of food to insure that
the needy do not go hungry. Anyone wishing to sponsor a
food drive or has time during the day to volunteer at the
pantry can call for more information at 630-529-9993.
Holiday
Food Baskets
During
the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays the Township
and Volunteer Council develop a list of eligible families
to put on their “Adopt a Family” list.
With the help of individuals, local churches and schools
we are able to supply hundreds of holiday food baskets
to needy Township families. Anyone interested in helping
with the Holiday Food Basket program can call for more
information at 630-529-9993.
Sharing
Tree
The
Township and Volunteer Council operate the “Sharing
Tree” which serves the Townships needy children with gifts
for Christmas. Each holiday season the Sharing Tree, which
is located at the Township offices, opens the day after
Thanksgiving and runs until approximately December 15th
. During that time, Christmas trees are set up and decorated
with paper bells. Each bell is designated for a deserving
child and lists their wishes for Christmas. Individuals
or organizations then come in and take one or more bells
from the tree and return with gift-wrapped presents for
that child. Approximately a week before Christmas the gifts
are distributed insuring that over 750 of the Townships
children have something under their tree for the Holidays.
Anyone interested in participating in this program can
call for more information at
630-529-9993.
Electronic Order of Protection System
The Bloomingdale Township General Assistance Office is now a public access point for DuPage County’s new electronic Order of Protection (OOP) system. This system allows citizens seeking an Order of Protection to get basic information about the OOP and begin their petition online, saving time when they visit the courthouse to complete the process. To use the electronic Order of Protection system, visit the township office or go to www.GetAProtectionOrder.org from any safe computer.
Helpful Links
Family Shelter Service 630.469.5650 (24 hours) www.familyshelterservice.org
DuPage County State’s
Attorneys Office 630.407.8000 www.dupageco.org/statesattorney
DuPage Circuit Court
Clerk’s Office 630.407.8700 www.dupageco.org/courtclerk
DuPage County Bar
Association Lawyer
Referral Service 630.653.9109 www.dcba.org
Prairie State Legal Services, Inc., provides FREE LEGAL ASSISTANCE to low-income persons and persons aged 60+. For more information, please visit their website at: www.pslegal.org |
