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The CoServ Charitable Foundation (funded through Member, Customer and Employee generosity) donates tens of thousands of dollars every quarter to nine social service agencies that use the funds to assist CoServ Members and Customers during tough times.

For a list of service agencies and contact information, go to CoServ.com/CCF

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SHERMAN, August 8, 2016 – TCOG Executive Director, Susan B. Thomas, PhD, announced today the award of $473,000 from Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) to serve Denton, Collin, Hunt and Rockwall counties with weatherization services.

TCOG currently serves 15 counties with weatherization services and recently applied for the addition of Denton, Collin, Hunt and Rockwall counties. “It made sense to go after the funding for the additional counties as they are contiguous to the counties we are serving now. Plus, we felt confident in our ability to absorb the work, and we have a great working relationship with TDHCA,” stated Allison Minton, Client Services Department Director. The additional funding will provide weatherization services for up to 70 homes located across the 4-county area.

Since the Weatherization Assistance Program’s inception in 1976, more than 7 million homes in the United States have received energy-efficiency improvements, such as heating and cooling upgrades, the addition of insulation, weather-stripping to doors and windows, and much more. Leading technologies and testing protocols are used to determine which applications will produce the most energy savings.

TCOG’s Weatherization program has weatherized on average over 125 homes per year with over 4,500 homes weatherized to date. The savings achieved as a result have been between 20% and as high as 50%. A local Texoma client whose home was weatherized saw a reduction in her annual energy costs from $1,071 to $568, representing a 47% savings. Lower utility bills creates more disposable income for the client.

Dr. Thomas stated, “The investment made through weatherization improvements has a real impact on the lives of families we serve and that’s what TCOG is all about; improving quality of life. With this additional funding we look forward to bringing these improvements to the homes and lives of families living in Denton, Collin, Hunt and Rockwall counties.”

The Weatherization Program is funded by federal funds from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Department of Energy (DOE). Eligible families must be at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. TCOG encourages anyone interested living in Denton, Collin, Hunt and Rockwall counties to contact the Weatherization program for more information on how to apply. TCOG is also seeking applicants living in the counties of Grayson, Fannin, Cooke, Lamar, Hopkins, Rains and Red River. Call TCOG today to see if your family is eligible for assistance.

The Texoma Council of Governments is a voluntary association of the local governments in Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson Counties. Established in 1968, the Texoma Council of Governments promotes economy and efficiency in the coordinated planning and development of the tri-county region through its community and economic development activities. Either directly, or through contractors, the Council provides housing, utility assistance, and weatherization services for low-income citizens in the region and assists the elderly through a variety of Area Agency on Aging programs. The Council also facilitates the delivery of grant funding for homeland security and criminal justice.

The Texoma Council of Governments heard some good news in their September Board meeting. The COG will receive an unexpected $157,818 of state money for their Weatherization Assistance Program.

“It’s going to allow us to do probably another 20 homes before the end of this year,” said Brenda Smith, energy services program manager at TCOG. “We are always tickled to death to be able to have more money to help serve more folks.”

The Weatherization Assistance Program helps low-income households conserve electricity. Families at or below 125 percent of the poverty line can request help to apply insulation, fix drafts or even replace old heaters and air conditioners. Some weatherization programs across the state were unable to use all of their funding from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, so that money got moved around to the places that needed it most.

TCOG administers these services over a 19-county area. Around 120 houses are weatherized each year, and the current waiting list is 170 names long. “And we get new applications practically every week,” Smith said.

The extra funds will be a great help to the families waiting for assistance, said Smith. People struggling with poverty are hit hard by rising energy costs.

“It means a whole lot,” Smith said. “We’ve had folks tell us that their energy cost has dropped by around 30 percent.”

The Weatherization Assistance Program did a lot for 70-year-old Denison resident Beverly Doty. When her husband left, she found herself having to make house and utility payments on a fixed income.

“I didn’t know what was going to happen,” said Doty. “I thought I was going to lose my home.”

Doty’s house was almost completely uninsulated, and she said she could feel cool breezes coming from outside. TCOG helped her insulate her drafty home, caulked cracks around the windows and doors, and replaced her gas heaters.

“In a home that’s never been insulated or has a lot of cracks, and you go in and do some weatherstripping and caulking and put in some insulation, it’s going to make a big difference in that home,” said Smith.

Doty agreed: the change is noticeable. “The bottom line is: This has saved a little bit of money on the utilities, but the difference is it’s real cozy and warm in here in the winter, and in the summer it’s nice and cool.”

“It’s also helped me realize that there are people who care about people in these circumstances,” Doty continued. “I never dreamt that the government could assist someone the way that they did for me. It’s a very heartwarming experience, that’s the only way that I can put it.”

Source: http://heralddemocrat.com/news/local/state-gives-tcog-extra-funds-weatherization

SHERMAN, JULY 22, 2014 – Dr. Susan Thomas, Executive Director of Texoma Council of Governments (TCOG) announced today TCOG is accepting applications for weatherization assistance.

“Summer brings warm weather, backyard barbecues and trips to the lake. But Summer also brings higher electricity bills as folks try to keep cool,” stated Thomas. “We want to let homeowners and renters know there is assistance available through TCOG’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP).”

TCOG provides the WAP Program to low-income families in an effort to reduce the infiltration of air to their homes which reduces consumption and lowers utility bills, providing families with more disposable income for other necessities.

Professionally trained weatherization crews use computerized energy audits and advance diagnostic equipment, such as a blower door and manometer, to determine the most cost-effective measures appropriate for each home.

Typical measures may include installing ceiling, wall and floor insulation, caulking and weather-stripping, sealing ducts, tuning and repairing heating and cooling systems; all of which decreases air infiltration and reduces electric consumption.

WAP crews also perform health and safety tests that include testing heating units and appliances for combustion safety, carbon monoxide and gas leaks.

The TCOG Weatherization Program not only benefits the families receiving the work, but also helps revitalize communities by spurring economic growth and reducing environmental impacts. According to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for every $1 invested in the program, there is a $1.67 return in economic benefit.

The Texoma Council of Governments is a voluntary association of the local governments in Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson Counties. Established in 1968, the Texoma Council of Governments promotes economy and efficiency in the coordinated planning and development of the tri-county region through its community and economic development activities. Either directly, or through contractors, the Council provides housing, utility assistance, and weatherization services for low-income citizens in the region and assists the elderly through a variety of Area Agency on Aging programs. The Council also facilitates the delivery of grant funding for homeland security and criminal justice.