Fresno County Public Library: Disaster Relief Document

This page is intended to help individuals, families, and businesses during difficult times. The online list is compiled of Local, State, and Federal resources, and forms for freeze disaster relief. In addition, Public and nonprofit programs are included in compiled list of resources. We will continue to update online resources as more information becomes available.

One-Stop Centers to Assist Unemployed Workers Due to Recent Cold Front

In cooperation with local government, these centers will provide job and unemployment assistance, support with food programs, healthcare information, warming center location information and other essential services. The assistance centers will open on Friday, January 19 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 12 locations throughout the state. They will remain in operation weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for as long as necessary. More centers will be established as the need arises.

Current Locations of the one-stop centers:

Workforce Connection
1680 East Manning Avenue
Reedley, CA
(559) 637-2444
www.servicelocator.org/

Career Services Center – Southeast Bakersfield
1600 East Belle Terrace
Bakersfield, CA
(661) 635-2600
www.co.kern.ca.us

Career Services Center North – Delano
1816 Cecil Avenue
Delano, CA
(661) 721-5800 or 5850

Tulare County Employment Connection, Dinuba
199 North L Street
Dinuba, CA
(559) 591-5065

Kings County One-Stop Job Center
124 North Irwin Street
Hanford, CA
(559) 585-3532

Madera County Workforce Assistance Center
209 East 7th Street
Madera, CA
(559) 662-4500

Worknet Employment Resource Center
1200 W. 16th St.
Merced, CA
(209) 724-2100

Tulare County Employment Connection, Porterville
1063 West Henderson Avenue
Porterville, CA
(559) 788-1400
lhvert@tcwid.org

Employment/Unemployment Information

Governor’s One-Stop Centers to Assist Unemployed Workers: Governor’s Office
http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/5187/

Unemployment Insurance: California Employment Development Department (English and
Spanish ), http://www.edd.ca.gov/uirep/uiappind.htm

Emergency Medi-Cal, Fresno County Employment & Temporary Assistance -
http://www.fresnohumanservices.org/EmploymentandTemporaryAssistance/Medi-Cal/

Unemployment Insurance: http://www.edd.ca.gov/uirep/uiloc.htm

Disaster Unemployment Assistance:
http://www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/unemploy/disaster.asp

General Relief who are not eligible for assistance under any other categorical aid program,
Fresno County Employment & Temporary Assistance
http://www.fresnohumanservices.org/EmploymentandTemporaryAssistance/GeneralRelief/

Link to PG&E

PG&E - Pacific Gas and Electric

PG&E: 10/20 plus information
http://www.pge.com/news/latest_topics/wintergas/savings_program.html

To help customers during this difficult time, PG&E is offering a few programs to lessen the
impact the cold temperatures will have on energy bills.

  • PG & E's CARE program gives a 20% discount on energy costs for low income households that qualify.
  • There is also the REACH program which offers customers who can't pay their energy bill because of hardship caused by the cold up to $300 in assistance.
  • There is also the 10-20 program. If customers reduce their natural gas usage by 10% during January and February compared to January and February of last year, they automatically get a 20% rebate on their bill in March.

Health/Medical Information

Emergency Services Agency Index, Fresno County Community Health:
http://www.fresnohumanservices.org/Emergency.htm

Emergency Medical Services, Fresno County Community Health -
http://www.fresnohumanservices.org/CommunityHealth/EmergencyMedicalServices/

Food

Report Cold Weather Crop Damage, California Dept. of Food & Agriculture -
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/exec/cl/countyagmap.htm

Food, Health, Energy Assistance, Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission -
http://www.fresnoeoc.org/programs.html

Food Programs, Fresno County Employment & Temporary Assistance -
http://www.fresnohumanservices.org/EmploymentandTemporaryAssistance/FoodProgramsResources.htm

Food Stamps, United States Department of Agriculture/Food & Nutrition Service –
http://www.fns.usda.gov

Food Distribution, United States Department of Agriculture/Food & Nutrition Service –
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd

Federal Food Stamp & Employment and Temporary Assistance -
http://www.fresnohumanservices.org/EmploymentandTemporaryAssistance/WheretoApply.htm

Community Food Bank: http://www.communityfoodbank.net/

TulareWorks, Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency -
http://www.tularehhsa.org/cash_aid/Content_TulareWORKS.cfm

Housing Assistance

Public and nonprofit programs to assist people in Fresno County - Fresno County Resources
Directory

County Locations and Contact Information, California Offices of Emergency Services -
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/exec/pa/coldawareandprepare.htm

Temporary Housing Assistance, Fresno County Community Health -
http://www.fresnohumanservices.org/EmploymentandTemporaryAssistance/HousingAssistance.htm

Homeless Shelters:

Fresno Rescue Mission: http://www.fresnorescuemission.org/

Poverello House: http://poverellohouse.org/

Additional Information

FEMA: Federal Grant to Help Fresno County in Counseling Freeze Disaster Victims
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=9778

County mental health departments: Fresno County residents and workers in need of counseling to cope with the disaster should contact their local county mental health department at: (559) 453-6531, County of Fresno; (559) 876-8820, Sanger; or (559) 846-7500, Kerman.

IRS: Tax Relief in Disaster Situations:
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=108362,00.html
Special tax law provisions may help taxpayers recover financially from the impact of a disaster. Depending on the circumstances, the IRS may grant additional time to file returns and pay taxes. Both individuals and businesses in a declared disaster area can get a faster refund by claiming losses related to the disaster on the tax return for the previous year, usually by filing an amended return.

United Farm Workers: Offers information on help and assistance
http://www.ufw.org/

Red Cross: http://www.fresnomaderaredcross.org/

Farm Disaster Assistance Loan Guarantee Program, California Business, Housing & Transportation Agency, http://www.bth.ca.gov/agriculture/index.asp

Disaster Legal Service, Depart. Of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency
http://www.fema.gov

Domestic Violence Protection, Fresno County Human Services System -
http://www.fresnohumanservices.org/CommunityHealth/MaternalChildAdolescentHealth/DomesticViolencePrevention.htm

Domestic Violence Restraining Order, Superior Court of California -
http://www.fresnosuperiorcourt.org/family/domestic_violence_issues.php

Disaster Assistance Contact Information, California Dept. of Food & Agriculture -
http://www.oes.ca.gov/Operational/OESHome.nsf/PDF/Disaster%20Assistance%20Trifold%20Brochure/$file/DAtri-fold.pdf

FORMS: What You Will Need to Fill out Forms:

Food stamp what you need:
http://www.fresnohumanservices.org/FoodStamps.htm#P43_2307

Health Coverage for Children program what you need:
http://www.fresnohumanservices.org/EmploymentandTemporaryAssistance/Medi-Cal/HealthyFamilies.htm

California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA) Financial Assistance:

The Governor, in proclaiming, is providing financial assistance to reimburse local jurisdictions in responding and recovering from the extreme cold weather. This includes assisting citizens, pipe damages, and other repairs.

State of California: Office of Emergency Services: CDAA Forms Packet

What you can do to help others:

All donations should be made payable to either The Salvation Army or the Community Food Bank.

Make a donation to the Salvation Army

Make a donation to the Community Food Bank

The following are links to the Community Food Bank and Salvation Army for more information on how people can obtain food or financial assistance.

Community Food Bank

Salvation Army

You can also call or stop by the Salvation Army or Community Food Bank if you would like to make a donation or need assistance.

Salvation Army 1914 Fulton Street Fresno, CA 93721-1017 (559)233-0139

Community Food Bank 210 North Thorne Ave Fresno, CA 93706 (559) 237-3663 (559) 237-2527

January 23, 2007
Compiled by: Nance A. Espinosa and Kari S. Johnson

OES NEWS BULLETIN for: CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES (02/09/07)

Governor Schwarzenegger Authorizes Funds to Help Freeze Victims with Rent, Mortgage and Utility Payments

Governor Schwarzenegger today authorized $1.75 million in emergency funding to help freeze victims in Tulare, Fresno, Kern, Riverside and Ventura counties. The funding will be provided as a grant to the community-based organization La Cooperativa to provide financial assistance for victims to make rent, mortgage and utility payments for the months of February and March. "Until the President signs the comprehensive federal aid package pushed by several members of California's Congressional Delegation, we need to do everything we can at the state level to provide assistance to all those impacted by the freeze," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "Today's authorization will help workers and families to pay their rent, mortgage and utility bills, to provide relief from the devastation caused by the loss of crops in California." The pending federal aid package is expected to include reauthorization of the FEMA Mortgage and Rental Assistance Program which will provide significant funding to help victims with their housing needs. Today's grant includes: $1.5 million ($750,000 per month) for rental and mortgage assistance in the form of vouchers and $250,000 ($125,000 per month) for utility assistance vouchers. The money will be spent within the counties of Tulare, Fresno, Kern, Riverside and Ventura, based on the greatest need.

To visit the OES website containing this news bulletin as well as previous news bulletins, either click on this link or copy and paste it into the address bar of your browser...http://www.oes.ca.gov/Operational/OESHome.nsf/.

For more information contact the Office of Public Information at 916-845-8400