About heat bank Haliburton County
Heat Bank began as a Haliburton Highlands homegrown response to people who did not have the means to adequately keep their homes warm through our harsh winters. Most of the 120 households that we help every year are living paycheck-to-paycheck or are on fixed incomes and they do not have the financial means to respond to the extra emergencies that often arise. They find themselves juggling car repairs, putting food on the table, fighting rising hydro costs, medication expenses, etc. Often, they are also living in homes that are not energy efficient and they struggle with lack of insulation, cracked windows, drafty doors, and leaking roofs.
We act as the safety net for when “all else fails”. We offer small grants to overcome an emergency concerning hydro, propane or furnace oil. We also keep stock piles of firewood ready throughout Haliburton County in case of a winter that is colder or longer than expected and people find themselves in a pinch.
We act as the safety net for when “all else fails”. We offer small grants to overcome an emergency concerning hydro, propane or furnace oil. We also keep stock piles of firewood ready throughout Haliburton County in case of a winter that is colder or longer than expected and people find themselves in a pinch.
But we do more than just respond to emergencies.
We firmly believe that the best way to deal with an emergency is to prevent it from ever happening in the first place. And so we offer a suite of services, including service navigation, information and referrals, advocacy and financial problem-solving. We help people identify supports and benefits that they may qualify for and then help them apply to access those benefits, such as government supports like GST/HST credits, GIS for seniors, hydro credits for low income households, energy conservation programs and more.
Heat Bank Haliburton County is an authorized intake agency for various hydro programs, such as the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP) and the Low Income Energy Program (LEAP).
Heat Bank Haliburton County is an authorized intake agency for various hydro programs, such as the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP) and the Low Income Energy Program (LEAP).
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Dignified assessments completed by trained staff to determine needs and help households move from crisis towards stabilization.
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All client services are provided in a respectful, dignified and accessible format to clients. Intake assessments are completed in order to establish home heating needs, identify resources available to the household, offer appropriate referrals and assess the household's need for access to emergency heating fuel. Confidentiality is assured by using only trained and empathetic staff who are committed to helping move households from crisis towards balance and stabilization. The depth of the assessment is on a sliding scale and is directly related to how much assistance the household is requesting.
Heat Bank Haliburton County wood depots are located throughout the County, including Minden, Haliburton and Highlands East. This allows for wood donations to be directed to an area close to its source and means that we are really "neighbours helping neighbours".
Our 2020 Impact:
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households assisted
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loads of firewood distributed
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free energy kits distributed
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Central food network adopts heat bank haliburton county
In the spring of 2016, A Place Called Home (the original parent organization), was looking for a local group to take over the community initiative and continue its valuable work. Recognizing that utility affordability was becoming a greater problem for people living in poverty, Central Food Network adopted Heat Bank Haliburton County to provide unique solutions and assistance to people that need it most across Haliburton County.
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