California Interfaith Energy Assistance Project (CIEAP)

For more information please contact:

Tom Bourne
Statewide Energy Project Coordinator
California Council of Churches
2715 K Street, Suite D
Sacramento, California 95816
916-442-5447/FAX 916-442-3036
E-mail: bourne@calchurches.org

Mary Romero
Director, San Gabriel Region
Catholic Charities of Los Angeles
1307 Warren Street
Los Angeles, CA 90033
323-266-3130
FAX: 323-266-3269
E-mail: maryromero1@sbcglobal.net
www.catholiccharitiesla.org

Over five million California residents fall below Federal Poverty Guidelines and have been forced to make difficult decisions concerning issues affecting their daily lives. High-energy costs have forced many low-income families to choose between paying their utility bills, their rent or mortgage, buying groceries or paying for badly needed medical expenses.

To help mitigate this problem, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has provided funding for the California Interfaith Energy Assistance Project (CIEAP) since January of 2002. CIEAP was originally operated through the California Council of Churches and Catholic Charities of California as an energy assistance initiative for low-income people in seven designated geographic areas, serving nine counties in California.

CIEAP also had the broader long-term goal of encouraging environmental stewardship programs that would provide environmental sustainability and justice through congregations and other community based programs throughout California.

CIEAP reached over 145,725 low-income people at 153 events, and 9,959 CARE program applications have been forwarded to utility companies for processing. 384 congregations and community-based-organizations have participated in local CIEAP activities and have enlisted almost 1,250 volunteers to disseminate CARE Program materials. CIEAP also reached over three million people through newspaper articles and television and radio segments, and articles in faith-based newsletters and church bulletins.

The Hewlett Foundation funding for this outreach project expired at the end of February 2004, but we are proud to announce that the California Council of Churches has received a six-month Hewlett Foundation continuation grant to extend our partnership with Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, as outlined below:

A primary focus of CIEAP's work in Los Angeles has been a faith-based outreach effort to Catholic Charities of Los Angeles' (CCLA) primarily Hispanic, low-income client base, and other local community members, aimed at linking them with the CARE Program. One of the most effective outreach models has been working in partnership with the local Promotoras de Salud health outreach program, through the GEM (Get Enrollment Moving) program at Citrus Valley Health Partners. This model provides door-to-door outreach for the CARE Program, and information on affordable health insurance and health education services in low-income neighborhoods, utilizing approximately 200 community volunteers.

Our new project, through CCLA, will address local environmental health issues by first addressing the immediate concerns raised by local community members that relate to socioeconomic environmental factors - their immediate "survival" issues that pose a threat to their families' health and safety. These issues include gang violence, drug and alcohol abuse, chemical wastes from factories, automobile oil dumped in local parks, smog, and graffiti. This will be accomplished through a continued collaboration with local community-based organizations and service providers, including the Promotoras de Salud health outreach program.

A critical leg of this effort will be to provide advocacy and educational opportunities for community members concerning environmental health issues and neighborhood safety. The goal of this effort is to organize a tri-discipline (health, faith, and social services) advocacy group, and to set up a mechanism to continue this advocacy effort after current funding terminates. Activities will include advocacy training sessions for local community members (facilitated by Elizabeth Sholes, Public Policy Coordinator for the California Council of Churches/ California Church IMPACT), visits with local and statewide elected officials to present local environmental concerns, and participation in local environmental, health and social service meetings, forums, and summits. Additionally, faith-based environmental/ global warming educational sessions would be conducted, utilizing the Lighten Up! Video and Study Guide.