Galveston and Fort Bend County region Greater Coastal Community Action Council assistance programs.
Struggling families from Galveston, Fort Bend, Brazoria and Wharton County in Texas can get financial help for their bills and other social services from the Greater Coastal Community Action Council, which was previously known as the Galveston County Community Action Council, or GCCAC. The non-profit is one of the region’s leading poverty fighting agencies and they are involved in assisting the low income, senior, disabled, and others in the community. Most of the programs that they are involved in, such as CEAP – energy bill assistance, Head Start, and weatherization are federal government funded programs.
Find financial help, grant money, and cash assistance from GCCAC
The Texas CEAP (Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program) can help with paying utility bills. Community Action Council of Galveston can provide more details on this resource. It is the area’s and state’s main program for offering energy bill assistance. It is offered in Fort Bend, Brazoria, Galveston, and other counties.
Services that are part of CEAP include needs assessment, energy education, direct utility bill payment assistance, repair of existing heating and cooling units, and crisis-related, emergency assistance for disconnection prevention. While grant amounts are limited, priority will always be given to low income households with high energy use, a senior or disabled member, or the presence of a child under the age of 5.
Weatherization Assistance from Texas and DOE was designed to help lower income and working poor customers control their energy bill through the installation of weatherization materials and consumer education.
What will happen is an energy audit take place. This will be a full review of your home’s energy efficiency, which identifies inefficient appliances, where air leaks may be occurring, and more areas of potential improvement. Then, based on the results, contractors approved by GCCAC will install, for free, weatherization measures to increase energy efficiency of a home and help people save money on their bills.
Additional financial assistance from Community Action Council
Referrals to grants and financial assistance programs are a key service of the GCCAC - Community Action Council. Case managers provide low income families, the unemployed and needy individuals with the support they need. Programs can address immediate needs, such as homeless prevention and nutritional, and help people move toward better jobs and financial self-sufficiency.
- Many requests are made for housing concerns. So get information on local resources that may help with paying utility bills, rental payments, loans for home repairs, or even security deposits for the currently homeless.
- Working to end hunger is a priority in the region. So get lists of free food pantries in counties such as Fort Bend, Brazoria, and Galveston. Or learn about benefits such as SNAP food stamps.
- With many uninsured individuals in the area, they provide information on clinics and Medicaid is also offered.
- Loan programs are offered by Greater Coastal Community Action Council. This includes for people with bad or poor credit, the low income, and struggling. Read more on how to borrow money with bad credit.
- Other social services can be vouchers for work clothing, zero interest loans for bills or rental costs, and applications for programs such as SSDI or TANF cash assistance. Much more is available too.
Free or low cost dental care is available as well. There are clinics, volunteer dentists, colleges and other resources in the Fort Bend and Galveston County area that low income households as well as uninsured families can turn to. Too many residents, adults, and children of Galveston and Fort Bend County lack insurance, and the Galveston County Community Action Council can assist. More on dental with no insurance in Texas.
Galveston and Fort Bend County area education, job, and career resources
The Head Start program is focused on helping children, but in actuality the entire family, such as parents, can get assistance as well. Several centers and schools are in the region and provide this service in partnership with GCCAC.
The program will support children on their quest to learning and growing. Teachers and staff work hard to help them in their search for skills, knowledge, and in their pursuit of growth. Head Start provides children with a safe and caring place to learn and grow. It also heavily relies on the parent, as they are truly the child’s first and best teacher. Involvement from them is key.
Head Start gives families from the Galveston and Fort Bend region a chance to grow. It does this by providing educational and social services. Children can get food, snacks, and nutritional needs met. Basic medical care, including dental needs, can also be met by the Greater Coastal Community Action Council as part of Head Start.
Many parents of the children have also be able to gain self-sufficiency, such as employment skills, that helped them get jobs and an improved education. More details on this is below. In addition, Head Start offers services that can help people reach their long term goals. It helps with disabilities, educational needs, Mental Health, and coordinates Family & Community Engagement in Texas.
Several other job training and education services operate in the area. Staff from the community action agency may be able to refer income qualified clients to these resources.
-Both English and Literacy Civics as well as ESL classes are available. The purpose of these programs is for students from the greater Galveston Texas region to acquire the knowledge and skills to become active and informed workers, parent and really community members.
- GED (General Educational Development Certificate) is very important when it comes to employment. Regional services can help people prepare for this, including older adults. There are several components to it, such as Science, Language Arts-Writing, Social Studies, and Mathematics.
- Local career counseling programs provide participants with workforce education, job placement advice, and other training opportunities. Case managers from Greater Coastal Community Action Council encourage this for adults in order to prepare them for smooth transition into certification programs and employment.
Applying for community action agency help in Galveston
The main location of Greater Coastal Community Action Council is at 24700 Broadway Avenue J, Galveston, Texas 77551. Dial (409) 762 -8418. However other outreach centers are available.
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