MEOC’s Senior Cool Care accepting applications

Older persons in need of emergency cooling assistance this summer may find it through Mountain Empire Older Citizens’ Senior Cool Care program.

The program, which runs from June 1 to Sept. 30, distributes a limited number of fans or air conditioners to older individuals with cooling needs on a first-come, first-served basis.

To qualify, an individual must:

• be at least age 60;

• live in Lee, Scott or Wise counties or the City of Norton;

• have household income at or below 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines ($1,610 for a one-person household; $2,178 for a two-person household).

Senior Cool Care is sponsored by Dominion Energy and administered by Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services.

Call MEOC at 276-523-4202 or 1-800-252-6362 to apply for assistance. Visit www.meoc.org to learn more about the agency and its programs and services.

Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc., has served southwestern Virginia since 1974, providing a range of services aimed at helping older adults live independently in their homes and communities for as long as safely possible. Services include home-delivered and congregate nutrition, in-home support, advocacy, wellness programs and more. MEOC also directs Mountain Empire Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), Healthy Families for Southwest Virginia, the Mountain Laurel Cancer Support and Resource Center, and the Southwest Virginia Children’s Advocacy Center.

Provided by MEOC, Paula Culbertson, Director of Communications